Fractured by N.O Darling

Chapter 0211

** 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 to cwith us tomorrow.

My family was overjoyed when | told them about the Little Bean. My mum had even cried with joy and told me

how proud she was, which | 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 offor Josie being pregnant?” | 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 | would be if you weren't pregnant,” | shrug. “And even if it wasthat

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,”

n

Josie almost chokes on her banana as she laughs 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. | swear it gets bigger

by the day.

“I think you are reading far too much into this,” Josie laughs.

She is right, | know she is. | 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 | think my reaction is warranted. | am

absolutely terrified about what might happen. What if | can’t protect Josie and the baby and they get hurt or we

lose them completely? | try to push away my morbid thoughts before | 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,” | 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 Atlas for a boy,” | smile as imagine our baby.

We all look to Josie for her-answer and she cringes, “Is it bad | didn’t think of any yet? Besides, you all have

great suggestions already,”

“My parents used to put all the nsuggestions 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 nthe 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 nafter the

gender

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Chapter 0211

reveal,” Josie says excitedly.

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

+25 BONUS

Quiet falls over our group and I'm sure we are all thinking of names for the bucket. Raff arrives and our break

comes to an end. I'm glad Josle is looking a lot better.

The training exercise is much the sas the last one, we have a moving target to capture, but this tthere

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,” | say into the mind lik as | catch the flash 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 | 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 claps, “you are working well as a team and utilizing your individual gifts well. Let's get back to the

academy to go over the plans 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, | 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 explains 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 plans of action for each possible scenario. In every plan 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 of combat, instead, they will try to get as many humans to safety as possible.

That evening we go hutterly exhausted. | can sense how disappointed everyone is feeling that if things

don’t go to plan tomorrow, this is potentially our last 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 ttomorrow we will all be back in this bed, bas

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