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

whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us

Otherwise, they’re

his

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

baby is gonna eat a lot of

sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair next to mine. “You know I can’t cook

us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the idea,

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 know that they’re there, after

just about laughter, and fun,

that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I

to get marshmallow all over the baby

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

as he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms I let him, wanting to be alone. with my s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe

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

around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d

dark

sing

murmurs

stars and then turning her head to look at Roger,

him.

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

that that’s my

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

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

begin talking quietly. My mate follows

puts a hand on his back, leaning down to speak

one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy,

noisy platform – the three

and Roger alone by the fire

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

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

Roger and

business, little spy?” he says, coming to

wanting to give us our own moment, rolls his

though we both know

mate and reaching for my baby,

I

murmurs, slipping his

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

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

say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff

ask, turning to