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

a ! much faster than I thought was possible and !

Cora and I and giving us a

Otherwise, they’re not

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still

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

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

she looks over at me from her

them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows,

happily around the fire, talking about nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on

just about laughter, and fun, and spending time

a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh

“you’re going to get

care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as

as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is I

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 this peaceful

here 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

dark

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand

murmurs

she says, looking up at the stars and then turning her

him.

as I watch them. And then, as they

decide that that’s my

I stand up from my little camping chair and send

I nod my head first towards the

quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then

and puts a hand on

by one, as stealthily as we can –

– the three of us and the baby make

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by

about,” I say to Sinclair

behind him, the baby still curled in his arms.

Roger and Cora through

business, little spy?” he says, coming

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

to watch some television, though we both know he

I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who

know I

murmurs, slipping his arms low around me

hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can

never cared as much about the details of my brother’s love life until you

out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has

girlfriend drama -”

body going stiff behind me, just

I ask, turning to him,