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

than I thought was possible and ! anile as I

only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I

they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on

Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making

baby is gonna eat a lot of

she looks over at me from

I consider. She raises

chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not

just about laughter,

moan a 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, closing my eyes as I chew. “This is so

“you’re going to get marshmallow

head and refusing to open my eyes as

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

his grandchild while

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

dark

murs to sing

murmurs

she says, looking up at the stars and then turning

him.

from crossing my face as I watch them.

decide that that’s

as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send a pulse down

up at me, curious and I nod my head

quietly. My mate follows

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

as we can – which

a noisy platform – the

mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by

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

shut behind him, the baby still curled in

the window at Roger and Cora through

coming to sit

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

about wanting to watch some television, though we both know

my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

you know I always

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms

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

cared as much about the details of my brother’s love life until you came along

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

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff behind me, just a little

I ask, turning to him,