A/N :

Hey everyone! First of all Happy New Year! I wish you all the best for 2025 and hope you've enjoyed the Holidays! Sorry, I know I haven't updated in a while but I was super busy with finals and life. I can finally say that I am done with my exams though, so expect some more frequent updates from now on :)

Anyways, hope this chapter is worth the wait and remember that you can still leave questions in the comments (if you have any) for the Q&A!

































"(Y/n)!"

There was no mistaking whose voice had just called her name, and the realisation sent a chill of dread down (Y/n)'s spine. Tobias had somehow managed to get away from Jasper and the guards and had successfully found his way over to her.

Of course he did.

Tobias was a Protective, his sixth sense probably flared when Marcus pushed (Y/n) off the window and pain flared through her broken ankle and ribs. (Y/n) should have been ready for this eventuality, but she had been so happy to finally make it out and so focused on dragging herself as far away from Tobias's home as possible that she hadn't even considered the possibility of Tobias catching up.

Tobias finding her was no surprise, what was though, was him successfully getting away from Jasper and the guards who had been keeping a close eye on him in case he was in fact a criminal by Infected Law. However, as (Y/n) turned around to look her previous captor in the eyes, things became abundantly clear.

Her eyes widened, stomach coiling with raw disgust at the sight of a blood drenched Tobias. There was so much of it, too much of it, it clung to his clothes and reeked off of him. The smell, sickening and overwhelmingly sweet, had (Y/n) gagging and her insides churning.

"It's not mine, don't worry." Tobias reassured, but his voice that usually represented a steady anchor for (Y/n) now sounded nothing like the friend she had known to care for.

"What-What happened?" (Y/n) willed herself to speak the words, almost surprised as pain shot through her ribcage at the attempt. With the adrenaline, she had been able to push through, but now the pain of her broken ribcage was coming back full force, sharp and excruciating, and powered by the additional impact she had made with the ground just a few minutes ago. "What-What have you done?"

Still, she couldn't let herself be overwhelmed by this, she had to continue and get away from him. But all she could see was dark crimson, all she could smell was sweet metal, all she could hear was the blood pulsing in her ears, and all she could feel was the lacerating pain of her broken bones scraping against her tender flesh. Gone was the control she had over her limbs, gone was the adrenaline that had pushed her forward up until now. Her body remained frozen, paralysed by a brewing mix of fear and shock.

I have to move. I have to move. I have to- I have to move.

Tobias crouched down in front of her, carefully extending his hand towards her face like a child making first contact with a fearful bunny. (Y/n) flinched as his hand graced her skin, smearing warm sticky blood on her cheek. Tobias didn't retract his touch though, and instead cupped her face in his hand to draw soothing circles with his thumb on her skin.

"They're gone." Tobias said, his eyes holding so much care, so much love, that (Y/n) struggled to reconnect the emotions emanating off him with the blood coating his form. "That's all you need to know."

This was wrong, so very wrong in so many ways. This wasn't the Tobias she knew, the Tobias who had vowed to never make himself a danger for others, the Tobias who would have sooner die than hurt someone else. This Tobias was a killer, one who did not care for human lives apart from hers. And this piece of knowledge should have eased (Y/n)'s mind, but it did no such thing, for she knew that if he caught her, a fate much worse than death awaited her.

Imprisonment.

"We can't stay here anymore." Tobias stated as a matter of fact, like she had no choice in the matter. Like there was no running away from him anymore. Like she had already lost the fight. "Don't worry though, I know exactly where we'll be going."

"You-You killed them?" (Y/n) voiced, her limbs shaking violently as the weight of the situation crashed down on her, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "All of them?"

She knew the Infection gave individuals some superhuman strength and speed, even more so when it was triggered by a Darling. But she had underestimated just how much stronger Tobias could get if he thought her safety was on the line.

"You don't want the answer to that." Was all he said as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and another under her thighs, hoisting her up like she weighed nothing. And (Y/n) wished she could have fought her way out of his grip, but she couldn't, not with the strength with which Tobias was holding her, and certainly not with her broken rib that made each intake of breath a living hell.

A helpless sob tore through her at the realization. Was this really how this was going to end? What about all that she had gone through? What about her projects with Lupita? What about her freedom and the life she had seen for herself?

Was Lupita even alright? Where was she? Was she aware of what had happened to her? Had Tobias ever told her? (Y/n) knew he probably hadn't. Because if he had there was no way Lupita wouldn't have come for her.

What about Marcus? Where was Marcus? Was he alright? Was he hurt? What had happened exactly?

"Ma-Marcus-" (Y/n) painfully croaked out his name before Tobias interrupted her, his hold on her tightening.

"It wasn't me." Tobias said coldly, but swallowing thickly all the same, and (Y/n) swore she saw him falter. "He got shot by a guard. But it wasn't me."

"What?"

(Y/n) couldn't believe it, couldn't wrap her head around Tobias's words. Shot? No this was impossible, Marcus couldn't have been shot. He couldn't be dead. Not when she had just spoken with him minutes ago and not when he had helped her out of the house they both considered a prison now. (Y/n) didn't even remember hearing a gun go off. If Marcus really had been shot she would have heard it, right? Right?

But judging by Tobias's somber expression, there was no doubt that his words had been true.

Had she been too focused on running away to pay attention to her surroundings? Had she been so focused on making it out that she had blocked out everything else from her senses?

"I couldn't protect him." Tobias said, "But you're safe and back in my arms. That's all that matters." He continued, like he didn't care, like the death of his grandfather barely affected him. A facade of indifference that starkly contrasted with the lone tear running down his cheek. He sniffed and inhaled sharply, as if this would somehow help in alleviating him of the grief. "Don't move around, your ribs are still broken and you should have never jumped out of that window in the first place. That was honestly the dumbest idea you've ever had."

(Y/n) could have butted back with a snarky remark, that was what they did, this was how Tobias and her had always interacted. But she remained silent.

There was no use fighting it anymore, there was no use arguing with Tobias either.

Lupita didn't know where (Y/n) was, Marcus was dead, and (Y/n) honestly didn't have the strength left to resist. She was hurt, and Tobias would easily overpower her.

It was over. She had lost. And Marcus was dead because of her, because he had convinced Tobias to help her out on that fateful day when she had entered the city. Because Marcus had been kind enough to lean into her fantasy that she could walk into the city and waltz into Tobias's life and that nothing would go wrong.

She didn't know where Tobias was taking her, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She had been so stupid, so naive.

"You're safe now." Tobias continued, but (Y/n) couldn't tell whether he was talking to her or saying this to reassure himself that everything would be alright, that he wouldn't be stripped of yet another person dear to him. And not any person, his Darling, the person that his world now seemingly revolved around. "I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I promise."

Unfortunately, (Y/n) knew Tobias enough to know he would keep to his promise. Even if it meant robbing her of the freedom she had so hardly won for herself. And there would be no Marcus to ground her anymore.









































"I'm home!" Tobias announced with a smile, closing the front door behind him and walking into his home. He heaved a sigh, putting the result of his hunting session on the kitchen counter along with the berries he had picked on his way back.

His good mood quickly soured when there was no reply to his greeting though, warily scanning the living room for any sign of (Y/n), the tension in his jaw growing exponentially when he found no traces of her.

"(Y/n)?" He called again, waiting for an answer only for a deafening silence to greet him back.

Then he heard it, a heavy thud on the floor coming from upstairs, followed by a hissed curse. His body moved before he could process what was happening, taking him upstairs to his shared bedroom with (Y/n) in quick strides.

Relief washed over him as he opened the door to find her on the carpeted floor with a scowl, seemingly glaring up at the bookshelf, only for her features to soften in surprise as she caught sight of him.

"Tobby?" She said quizzically, "I didn't hear you come back-"

Tobias heaved an aggravated sigh, kneeling down beside her and quickly scanning her for any signs of injury, his eyes falling on the gentle bump of her stomach.

"I'm fine, I promise-"

"How many times have I told you not to climb on this bookshelf?" He asked, frustration piercing through his voice. "You've already hurt yourself doing this and I can't have this happening again. If you do it again I might just take it down!"

Pain flashed through (Y/n)'s features and guilt immediately crashed over Tobias. He knew the bookshelf and its books had been one of (Y/n)'s only occupations in their home ever since they had moved in. It was cruel of him to say this, but he had been worried sick when he had come home and hadn't gotten a response for her. When he had heard her fall from downstairs his heart had literally leaped from his rib cage to the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry..." He said, gently taking her hands in his and stroking soothing circles on her palms. "I shouldn't have said this. I know these bookshelves are important to you. Just please promise me you'll wait for me next time you want a book that's out of reach."

It took a few seconds for (Y/n) to finally give a quick nod, her hands leaving Tobias's to rest on her lower stomach instead.

"How was the hunt today?" She finally asked, intentionally changing the subject.

Her safety was a subject she hated for Tobias to bring up, of fear that he might reduce her freedoms to nothingness if he ever judged it necessary.

Back when they had fled the Uninfected city three years ago he had confined her to a bed for weeks so that her ribs and ankle would have time to heal properly without interference. Of course, it had also been a way to keep her from running away again, (Y/n) was well aware of that. It had taken time for Tobias to trust her fully and even allow her outside of her bedroom, even after she had fallen in love with him and proved to reciprocate his feelings. But now, in a home of their own that Tobias had built for them far away from everything, not much had changed. (Y/n) still wasn't allowed outside in case anything might hurt her. Hell, getting the right to cook for herself and for him had been a whole ordeal in itself, because of the possibility of her injuring herself with a knife.

(Y/n) knew that the very little freedom she had was hanging by a thread, and that the second Tobias thought something might be dangerous for her he would cut her access to it. Whether it was the outside world -which she only had the right to explore in his presence-, the kitchen, or her bookshelves.

"It was good." Tobias answered, placing a gentle kiss to her left temple. "I got you some berries on my way back. Thought you might like to bake a pie with them. And I know you've been craving them like crazy lately."

At his words, a small smile touched her lips and she finally turned to look him in the eyes.

"We have." She said, earning an amused chuckle from Tobias as his eyes landed on her stomach once again.

He leaned closer, gently cradling her cheek and placing a kiss on her forehead, his other hand resting on her belly, warm and comforting.

"Yes, you both have." He said with a smile, before his features darkened again and he leaned his forehead against (Y/n)'s. "You know I only want to keep you safe, right?"

(Y/n) swallowed thickly, but nodded her head. She had grown to love Tobias over the years, but his overprotectiveness was something she still struggled to find excuses for. She hoped it would subside at some point... But she knew that with a baby on the way his overprotectiveness was bound to resurface more than usual. She could only wish things would change once their child was born though. After all, a child needed fresh air, to feel the sun and rain on their skin and to play in the grass.

"Good." He said with a smile before sighing and standing straight, his eyes now locked on the bookshelves. "Now, what book were you trying to get your hands on?"