A/N:

Hey guys! So this chapter is shorter than the other ones and mostly a fill in until things pick up. Almost all the main characters have been introduced now and we're mostly done with the lore explanations and worldbuilding. I hope everything until now is clear! But in case you have questions relating to the lore or how the Infection/Infected society work, don't hesitate to ask in the comments and I'll be more than happy to answer!

Thank you again for reading and for all your sweet, supportive messages <3 It really means the world.



Penelope could be called many things. Beautiful? For sure. Smart? No one would argue otherwise. Spoiled? Some would say. But one thing she was definitely not, was an idiot. And it would take one hell of an idiot not to notice the changes in Jasper's behavior.

Even more so considering Jasper was her best friend and the object of her affection, a person she knew from the inside out.

Penelope heaved an irritated sigh, a pretty pout on her rosy lips as she sat in front of her vanity with her cat on her laps. She needed to know what was going on. Never before had Jasper acted so... out of character. And so disinterested with her.

For starters, Jasper had never been one to go out much, always cooped up in his office working on some administrative papers or some other issues. Hell, more often than not Penelope had to drag him away from his work and out of his office if she wanted to have some quality time with him. Quality time that didn't include him overworking himself and her idly standing by and munching on cookies brought by Robert.

But over the last week not only had Jasper not been working as much but he had also been seen roaming out and about, looking like a lost puppy searching for their master.

Jasper's health had also taken a significant toll, as would attest the growing bags under his eyes. His already pale complexion had also grown that much paler, and his already lean frame had grown even leaner. All signs of a serious case of sleep deprivation and him skipping meals.

All signs that something was definitely wrong with her darling. And Penelope wouldn't go down without a fight, she was determined to find out just what had her precious Jasper acting so out of character.

Of course, part of Penelope wished Jasper would come to her himself and confide in her as he so often did when they were children. But lately it seemed as if she was the very last thing on his mind, which both had her concerned and furious.

She was used to being the center of attention. As her father's only daughter she was used to him dotting on her and having eyes for her only, she was used to people around her praising her for her looks and pretty face as well as her ambitious law studies. As Jasper's only friend, she was used to him confiding in her and being the center of his world. But yesterday when she had seen him at the market -which had already been strange enough considering he never ever stepped foot there usually- he had barely looked at her before running in the opposite direction!

Hell, her father hadn't been paying much attention to her either lately, much too preoccupied with his work as head of the military. In fact, the only person who had been giving her any attention lately was the Sadistic who had been trying to woo her for weeks now.

Penelope's pink eyes flitted over to the envelope resting on her bed, she had yet to open it and read its content, but she didn't need to in order to know what it contained. Probably the same old weird-ass fantasies Artty always sent her.

Disgust written plainly on her features, she rolled her eyes and turned back to the purring cat on her laps.

She needed to find a way to get rid of this guy. He was a pest more than anything else in her eyes, and yet another thing keeping her from her precious Jasper. The dude needed to understand that he didn't stand a chance in Penelope's heart. Not only was he a Sadistic, but she already had her eyes on Jasper. And there was no way she'd ever settle for anyone else.

She couldn't just tell the guy to fuck off though, or tell him about her love for Jasper, as there was no telling what a Sadistic would do. Both to her and Jasper. She couldn't fight him off either, because considering how tall he was she stood close to no chance at winning a fist fight against him.

Penelope needed to find another way of getting rid of Artty. And she needed to play her cards right.

But first, she needed to focus on Jasper, as whatever thing had driven his attention away from her these last few days, needed to disappear.

















































































Jasper quietly padded over to the Parker family's house, shrouded in darkness and covered in fresh blood. Ecstasy rushed through his veins as he stopped right in front of (Y/n)'s closed window.

He exhaled a pleased sigh, his heart finally at ease now that he was close to his darling. It was something Jasper had noticed lately, the more time away he spent from (Y/n), the worse his condition got. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, could barely breathe through the pain of her absence.

The only times these symptoms faded was when he kept himself busy with work or when he was close to her. Working could only alleviate his pains for so long though. It distracted him, true, but didn't solve the root of his issues.

His need for (Y/n).

Now though, he could finally breathe and think properly, tender blue eyes filled with nothing but love and adoration looking at her sleeping form as she peacefully laid under her covers.

A small smile graced Jasper's lips as he leaned against the window to get a better look.

Usually Jasper reserved his nights for paperwork he hadn't had the time to cover during the day due to his stalking (Y/n). But tonight his father had given him yet another 'special' mission -or at least that is how his father liked to refer to planned assassinations. These were far from Jasper's favorite aspects of working for his father but he was skilled at what he did and it was a change of pace from his usual paperwork.

On these nights, Jasper would usually go home, eager to take a shower and get rid of the sticky crimson in his hair or the iron smell clinging to his skin. But not tonight, tonight Jasper had instead taken the end of his mission as a chance to see (Y/n).

Part of him felt ashamed for showing up in such a sorry state, he wouldn't want his darling to see him covered in blood and messy from head to toe. But he knew that (Y/n) would probably be sleeping so late into the night. Well, he hoped she would be, because in spite of him being seriously sleep deprived himself he would never want for his love to neglect her health the way he did his.

But (Y/n) looked okay and all too adorable cozied up in bed, her limbs tangled around the blankets and her lips parted in quiet snores. And for a moment Jasper thought about letting himself in, about forcing the window open and climbing into her bedroom to get a better look. Gods, a shiver of delight rolled up his spine at the thought of running his fingers through her hair and leaning close enough to smell her scent.

He very well could do this. It wouldn't be the first time Jasper broke in someone's home, although the previous times had been for very different reasons.

The idea was tempting. Overwhelmingly so.

But Jasper had to remind himself that he was a gentleman, and he had yet to have a proper conversation with (Y/n), had yet to properly introduce himself. And before intruding on her privacy any more than he already had, he wanted to talk to her first. Not only that, but in his current state it was out of the question for him to go anywhere near her or step in her bedroom. He wouldn't want to dirty her floors or anything else with the blood coating his clothes.

Thus, once again, Jasper settled for merely standing outside of her window, watching her toss and turn in her sleep with a fond smile on his lips. He didn't know how long he stayed there, put and silent, but by the time he came to his senses the Sun was already rising in the horizon, and Jasper knew it was only a matter of time before his sweet darling (Y/n) woke up. And as much as he ached to stay by her side, he knew she probably wouldn't enjoy waking up to a stranger staring at her through her window.

So Jasper reluctantly walked away from his love, the pain in his chest growing with each step as he quietly returned home. Well, the good thing was that he would finally be able to take a shower and hopefully get rid of the nauseating scent of blood coating his senses.

It was strange, Jasper never liked blood to begin with, but never had it made him nauseous. Overtime he had grown quite immune to its smell and texture. So maybe it was less the blood that was making him nauseous and more the many sleepless nights catching up to him, as well as the skipped meals and constant lovesickness plaguing him whenever he was away from (Y/n).

Honestly Jasper didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep up at this pace. His need for (Y/n) was growing exponentially every day and it was becoming hard to balance work and his stalking sessions.

But he didn't feel like telling the world about (Y/n) just yet, not until he had properly introduced himself to her. He didn't want for his father to hurry things along and possibly mess up his relationship with his soulmate.

So Jasper would just have to hang on a little bit longer. Until he gathered the courage to approach her and finally broke the wall between the two of them.

Unfortunately for Jasper, some people close to him had already noticed the concerning changes in his behavior, and it was only a matter of time before things went downhill. Both for him and (Y/n).