**Luke''s POV


    We arrive back at the training ground with a few minutes to spare. Josie sits on a dusty old tyre whilst eating a banana that Theo''s mum insists will help with the swelling in her feet and ankles. We also all agreed that will will take her to the infirmary for a check-up once we are done here. Not just because of the swelling but to give us all a little peace of mind that she is fit toe with us tomorrow.


    My family was overjoyed when I told them about the Little Bean. My mum had even cried with joy and told me how proud she was, which I find an odd thing to be proud of. I didn''t actually do anything.


    "Does anyone think it''s odd that my mum is proud of me for Josie being pregnant?" I ask the others, unable to get the thought from my head.


    "I think she probably means she is proud you are growing maybe?" Josie shrugs.


    “But I''m not, I''m no different than I would be if you weren''t pregnant,” I shrug. “And even if it was me that biologically fathered the baby it''s still such an odd thing to be proud of. It''s like saying I''m so proud that your body functions normally and your testicles work,"


    П


    Josie almost chokes on her banana as sheughs and Axel rubs her back.


    "Aww, Mace, did you hear that? Luke''s mum is proud of your balls," Theo waffles his eyebrows with a grin.


    "I''m proud of them too," Mason smirks, his gaze locked on Josie''s rapidly growing stomach. I swear it gets bigger by the day.


    "I think you are reading far too much into this," Josieughs.


    She is right, I know she is. I have an unhealthy habit of over-analyzing everything, especially when I''m stressed or nervous about something, but with what we are about to do tomorrow I think my reaction is warranted. I am absolutely terrified about what might happen. What if I can''t protect Josie and the baby and they get hurt or we lose thempletely? I try to push away my morbid thoughts before I infect everyone else with them and change the topic.


    "Has anyone thought about baby names? We can''t call them Bean forever, it might be cute now but imagine being our age and named Bean, he or she will hate us for it," I snort.


    "I like Sam or Sammy," Axel says.


    "Micheal or Penny," Theo shrugs and Josie''s eyes fill with emotion.


    "Ellie or Elija," Deacon smiles.


    "Luna or Isabelle for a girl, Theodore or Joe for a boy," Mason says, making Theo and Josie smile.


    "I like Harper for a girl, and As for a boy," I smile as imagine our baby.


    We all look to Josie for her-answer and she cringes, "Is it bad I didn''t think of any yet? Besides, you all have great suggestions already,"


    "My parents used to put all the name suggestions in a bucket and then pick one out at random, they kept the bucket of names and pulled one out whenever my mum gave birth, and as long as no one hated it, that would be the name the baby would be given. She said it saved so many arguments," Theo says.


    "That''s a great idea, we could have a girl bucket and a boy one and then we can pick out the name after the gender


    reveal," Josie says excitedly.


    "I like that idea," Mason nods and we all agree.


    Quiet falls over our group and I''m sure we are all thinking of names for the bucket. Raff arrives and our breakes to an end. I''m d Josle is looking a lot better.


    The training exercise is much the same as thest one, we have a moving target to capture, but this time there are multiple moving tyres and we have to identify which one to capture, and which ones to save.


    Our target is the one marked with a red circle, and when a group of tyres begin to roll in a scattered pattern we all search desperately for the marked one, whilst Mason and Josie deflect the foam darts that are being fired at us.


    "Back left, hiding in a group of four," I say into the mind lik as I catch the sh of red.


    "We need to separate it from the group," Deacon says.


    Axel leads the charge as we move as a group towards the target. Once we get closer Axe uses his strength, and Theo his speed, to block any other tyres from approaching whilst Deacon and I port to the group, grabbing the non


    marked tyres and porting them back to our group. Josie quickly opens up a small pit directly in the red tyre''s path and then closes it around it so only the top is pocking cut of the ground.


    Well


    done," Raff ps, "you are working well as a team and utilizing your individual gifts well. Let''s get back to the academy to go over the ns for tomorrow," he says before porting out with his team.


    "He seems in a better mood," Theo snorts, once we are alone.


    "He


    was probably hangry earlier, I understand that feeling Josie shrugs.


    "What''s hangry?" Axel frowns.


    "When you''re so hungry that it makes you angry, once you eat you feel better," she exins and we all nod in understanding.


    "Let''s not test that theory and get back before he gets irritable with us again," Deacon sighs.


    When we get back to the academy the grand hall is a hive of activity. White boards have been erected around the room and small groups huddle around each one, drawing out interesting diagrams. The next hours are spent listening to each group as they take us through ns of action for each possible scenario. In every n our goal remains the same, capture Cornelius whilst protecting the humans. Our group''s main focus will be Cornelius, the rest of the military will try to keep us protected and capture any other rogues. The civilian volunteers will not engage in any kind ofbat, instead, they will try to get as many humans to safety as possible.


    That evening we go home utterly exhausted. I can sense how disappointed everyone is feeling that if things don''t go to n tomorrow, this is potentially ourst night together, but we are all too tired to make it a special night. Instead, we all go to bed and sleep, praying that this time tomorrow we will all be back in this bed, bas