The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Ella

The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.

“Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my

baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on

steady ground again.”

“Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinclair murmurs, coming down the stairs behind me.

If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”

“Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out

into the cool evening air, clasping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that

I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the accommodations

weren’t as nice.

“What about this?” Sinclair murmurs as he steps down the final step and comes to stand behind

me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean back against his chest. “Is the forest

an improvement?”

I look around our isolated campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light of the day. I

smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of the fireflies that float lazily

through the space.

“Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”

“Good,” Sinclair replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing me and moving to a luggage compartment low on the RV. I watch as he opens it and begins pulling out camping gear – chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra snacks and bug spray.

“Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burned-out ring where a

fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”

“Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him. When he reaches. the ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little elevator. “We’re always ready to go

glamping in this family.”

I laugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinclair waves me towards, smiling down at the baby “What do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him “Do you like glamping?” He gives a happy little coo in response and I laugh, grinning up at his father. “I think that’s a yes

“Kid has taste,” Sinclair says, winking at me as he continues his work

much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile as

Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a smile,

Otherwise, they’re

Sinclair protests, his eyes

us laugh. “If I’m making

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur

at me from her chair next to mine. “You

“Maybe we can make them hire us chefs,” I consider.

about nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the conversation. We all

tonight is just about laughter, and fun,

that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my eyes as I

dripping,” Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow all over

to open my eyes as I take another bite – He won’t

laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud

look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly connected in

her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside

dark

pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play

murmurs

the stars and then turning

him.

as

I decide that

little camping chair and send

curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and

My mate follows my gaze and

father and puts a hand on his back, leaning down to

– which is not very stealthy,

a noisy platform – the three of us and

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a moment

you think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as

behind him, the baby still curled in

the window at Roger and Cora through the

little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on

our own moment, rolls his way back to the bedroom, making

about wanting to watch some television, though we

looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

you know I

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping

against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder

Roger, “I never cared as much about the details of my brother’s love

them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has had lots of

girlfriend drama -”

Sinclair asks, his body going stiff

turning to him, confused