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.”

is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,”

looks over at me from her chair next to mine.

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

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 we all simultaneously decide to leave

just about laughter, and fun, and spending

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

laughs, you’re going to get marshmallow all over

shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite. “He won’t mind

laughs again 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 away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is. I wave a hand at him, dismissing

at my 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

and smiling around at our dark camp. “I didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dark by a fire

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

up at the stars and then turning her head to look

as I watch them. And then,

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

which is not very stealthy, considering Henry has to be lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us and the baby make our way back into the little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a moment to

he climbs last into the RV, pulling the door shut behind him, the baby still curled in his arms. I’m sitting

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

for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my arms. “But you know

my shoulder so that he too can look out at

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

asks, his body going stiff behind

I ask, turning to

my brother’s

face. “Dominic,” I say, shaking my head at him. “Your brother is hot. It’s

he growls, pulling me tighter. “I don’t like to hear you say

with a smirk. “And what would you have me say