Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 387 – By the Fire 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. We’re all settled around a fire much faster than I thought was possible and I smile as I watch Sinclair and Roger set a little grill across it, apparently preparing to make us our dinner as well.

“They only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a smile, “when it’s outdoors. Otherwise, they’re not interested.”

“Not true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the fire.

“Absolutely true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled. Otherwise I’m getting takeout.”

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

looks over at me from her chair next to mine. “You know

make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the idea, and we

into the night the family gathered 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 any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the conversation. We all know that they’re there, after all – and

just about laughter, and fun, and spending

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

Sinclair laughs, you’re going to get

murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my

Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur

watches Sinclair and his

camp. “I didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dark by a fire as much as

isn’t there?” Roger murmurs, raising a hand to play with Cora’s hair as he smiles at

at the stars and then turning her head

as I watch them. And then,

down my bond with Sinclair. He looks up at me, curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and then towards Roger and Cora, who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then nods his understanding. He walks to his father and puts a

as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry has to be lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us and the

you think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last into the RV, pulling the door shut behind him, the baby still

their business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on the plush leather. Henry, perhaps wanting to give us our own moment, rolls his way back to the bedroom, making some excuse about wanting to watch some television, though we both know he

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

pulling the baby and I warmly against him, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out at Cora and Roger, “I never

not, I say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has

going

turning to him,

think my

burst out laughing, lifting a hand to my mate’s face. “Dominic,” I say, shaking my head at

he growls, pulling me tighter. “I don’t like

with a smirk. “And