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

whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving

they’re

his eyes still

true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

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

from her chair next to mine. “You know I can’t

shrug. “Maybe we can make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows,

fire, talking 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

is just about laughter, and fun, and spending

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

Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to

to open my eyes as I

him, wanting to be alone. with my s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and

finish my s’more and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other,

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

dark

Roger murs to sing a hand to play with

murmurs

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

him.

from crossing my face as I

that that’s

from my little camping chair

me, curious and I nod my head first

My mate follows my gaze and then nods

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

can –

a noisy platform – the three of us

leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have

talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last into the

still curled in his arms. I’m sitting in the

at Roger

he says, coming to sit with me on the plush

rolls his way back to the

to watch some television, though we

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

you know I always want

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

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

much about the details of

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

girlfriend drama -”

going stiff behind me, just a little

I ask, turning