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

all settled around a ! much faster than I thought was possible

Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and

they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his

us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled.

baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

eggrolls,” she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from

make them hire us chefs,” I consider.

in our mutual future but not touching on any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the conversation. We all

is just about laughter,

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

to get

my head and refusing to open

Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is I wave a hand at him, dismissing him and his words, knowing that he’s

quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly

Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by a tie as much as

dark

murs to sing a hand to play with Cora s

murmurs

looking up at the stars and then turning her head to look at Roger,

him.

from crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as they

I decide that that’s my

up from my little camping chair

He looks up at me, curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and

who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze

hand on

one by one, as stealthily as we can – which is

lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the

and Roger alone by

to Sinclair as

behind him, the baby still curled in his arms. I’m sitting

window at Roger and Cora through

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

give us our own moment, rolls

about wanting to watch some television, though we both know he

at my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair

I always

laughs. “Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around

and I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he

“I never cared as much about the details

say, still peering out at them.

girlfriend drama -”

his body going stiff behind me, just a little

turning to