"We're here, sir." The driver said, stopping the car in front of the Uninfected Shelter's gates. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

The young man on the backseat heaved a tired sigh and ran a hand through blond wavy locks, blue eyes staring at the wide gates through the window. As if these weekly trips weren't depressing enough already, the sky was frowning a dark shade of gray and the clouds were puffy with unshed rain.

"Master Jasper?" The driver called again, waiting for the young man's answer.

Jasper turned his head to the older man, putting on a polite smile, "I'd appreciate that. Thank you, Robert."

With that, he opened the door and stepped out of the car, adjusting his black suit jacket and silently walking towards the guard in the booth by the gate. Not like this was of much use, Jasper was used to this drill already, and in fact the man didn't even bother to check his ID. He didn't need to, Jasper was a regular here, and even without this, everyone knew who he was.

The mayor's son. The Broken Obsessive.

There wasn't a single corner in this city where Jasper wasn't renowned, either due to his father's role in the city or because of his own reputation.

"Do you think his Infection has finally kicked in?" A young maid in his father's mansion whispered to another older maid.

"No, he's still as disinterested as can be."

"Our poor master... Do you think he's even Infected?" The young maid gasped and raised a hand to her mouth.

"Yes, he's been tested thrice. There's no mistaking it. Our master is just... a late bloomer."

A late bloomer. That was one way to put it, and admittedly not the worst thing Jasper had heard about his 'condition'. Most people saw him as a lost cause, an Infected with defects who would probably never find love. A disinterested and unfeeling obsessive. An anomaly.

And they were partly right, in their assumption that Jasper was more disinterested than most. Apart from his work and duty by his father's side, not many things interested him.

Where the rumors were wrong was in assuming Jasper was cold and unfeeling. Yes, he was less expressive than most people, less emotional and more level headed. Yes he had never shown any romantic interest whatsoever and had never shown excessive amounts of love for people around him, which was admittedly pretty unusual for an Obsessive.

But Jasper felt things too, as much if not more than others. And he dreamed too. Not only of a successful career in politics or of inheriting his father's place, but also of one day finding his one true love. His soulmate. The person who would forever change him for the best and would turn his world upside down.

But in his twenty three years of life, Jasper had never come close to meeting his darling, hence why people thought of him as a broken Infected. Obsessives tended to find their darling fairly early, his father had met his mother at the young age of sixteen.

Yet here Jasper was, twenty three and still completely loveless. And part of him was starting to lose hope, the rumors about him only enhancing his own worries.

What if these people were right? What if Jasper was truly broken? In spite of his dreams and hopes of one day finding his soulmate? What if he was really meant to stay alone for the rest of his life? What if there was truly something wrong with him?

The answers to these questions terrified him.

So there Jasper was, stuck with weekly if not daily visits at the Uninfected Shelter in the hopes of finally finding his darling. Of proving to both himself and others that he wasn't broken. That he too, could find love.

Jasper didn't even know what he was searching for though, didn't even know how he was supposed to recognise his soulmate. Elijah, his father, had told him about his first encounter with his mother many times, and Jasper had read about falling in love too. Most described it as an epiphany, as a firework of feelings and colors.

But between hearing or reading about falling in love and experiencing it for himself, Jasper knew there was a difference.

"The moment I saw her, I knew she was the one." Elijah said, a dreamy smile on his lips.

Elijah had found Jasper's mother in the exact same place where Jasper was currently seeking his own darling. The Uninfected Shelter. And part of Jasper hoped this would help him somehow. If his father had found his darling here, maybe Jasper would too.

But after weeks of coming to the Uninfected Shelter and still no sign of his one and only... Jasper was starting to think himself a lost cause too. In fact he didn't even bother paying attention to his surroundings anymore, mindlessly letting his legs carry him through the Uninfected Shelter.

This visit was nothing but routine to him.

Maybe Jasper should have been more attentive though, for just before reaching the entrance of the Shelter he bumped shoulders into someone else's.

A gasp fell from his lips and he stumbled back, a spark of electric warmth shooting up his arm and spreading through his chest at the contact.

The first thing that greeted him was her scent, something sweet and floral, unlike anything else he had ever known. Something utterly addictive that invaded his lungs and his system. Only when she took a step back did his eyes land on the girl he had bumped into.

And at the sight of her, Jasper forgot how to breathe, the air sucked right out of his lungs.

She wasn't especially pretty, Jasper had seen his fair share of stunning women in his life. But there was just something about her, something special that tugged at his heart and urged him to adore her. That urged him to worship her and kiss the ground she walked on.

"Sorry." The girl apologized, wiping at her tear stained cheeks, captivating (e/c) eyes looking up into his own. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

And Jasper wished he could have answered with an apology too. But the words just remained trapped in his throat, unable to do anything else but look at this girl who had suddenly become the center of his world, having eclipsed everything else around her.

Jasper cursed himself internally. He had never been the most talkative of the bunch, but his words had never failed him when the situation called for them. This was the first time in his entire life that he was utterly and completely speechless.

He couldn't move either, condemned to standing still as a statue in front of her, his heart dangerously swelling in his chest. So much so that Jasper feared it might explode or fly out of his ribcage and right into her hands. Not that he hated the idea though, in fact Jasper even found himself liking the thought of it.

How he would love to give her his heart, and everything she could possibly ever want from him...

Still, amongst the pure euphoria and adoration running through Jasper's veins as he looked at her, a prick of anxiety touched his heart at the thought of her thinking badly of him for standing there and simply gawking at her. Though if he was honest with himself, chances were she probably already knew of him due to his father, and probably already thought him a creep due to his own reputation.

What's wrong with me?

It was weird, for Jasper to suddenly care about what another person might think of him. Usually he never paid people's opinion of him any mind, it mattered little to him. But she was different, and Jasper had a feeling that if those clear (e/c) ever looked at him with any hint of displeasure, he'd die. Literally.

"You alright?" The girl repeated in a voice so sweet and gentle Jasper's heart quivered in his chest and warmth rose to his pale cheeks. Gosh, never in his life had a melody sounded so pure.

"I think he's fine. Let's just go." Jasper hadn't even noticed the other man standing beside her, who was now glaring daggers at him and tugging at her wrist to try and lead her towards the Shelter's gates.

Was this man her lover? And what had she been doing at the Uninfected Shelter? So many questions filled Jasper's mind and he ached for some answers.

The girl gazed at Jasper silently, as if pondering over her friend's words before finally relenting.

"I guess you're right." She said, throwing him one last glance before following the other man towards the gates.

And Jasper ached to hold her back, to grab onto her hand and ask her for her name, make her look at him one last time and to hear her voice again. But more importantly, Jasper ached to know more, ached to know everything there was to know about her.

But instead he stood there, paralyzed with admiration as she walked away from him, unable to as much as utter a word in her direction. Until an amused chuckle stirred him from his reverie and Jasper's eyes met the gaze of the man at the gates.

"(Y/n) Parker." The man said with a snicker and a wink. "Thank me later."

(Y/n) Parker...

The mere thought of her name had butterflies fluttering in Jasper's stomach. Was this what it was like to fall in love? It had to be it.

"(Y/n) Parker." Pure euphoria flooded Jasper's veins as he tasted her name on his tongue. Again and again and again, turning his back to the Shelter and climbing back into the car where Robert was waiting for him.

"Already done, sir? Don't feel like you have to rush anything because of me, I can wait-"

"I'm done, Robert." Jasper said with an uncharacteristically soft smile, unable to hide the glimmer in his gaze as he crossed his legs and looked out the window. "We can go home now."

Robert nodded, a small smile playing on his own lips as he looked at his young master in the rearview mirror.

"As you wish."

"(Y/n) Parker." Jasper repeated, heaving an enamored sigh as he caught sight of her outside the window, still with her friend. He couldn't wait for it to be him by her side.

And he couldn't wait to let his father know about his lover.

















































"She wasn't there, you say?" Tobias asked, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the kitchen counter, pondering over (Y/n)'s words.

The two of them were home after a silent way back. (Y/n) had been too busy thinking about how to go from there to find Grey, and Tobias hadn't wanted to disturb her or engage with her more than necessary. Still, he hadn't been able to prevent his eyes from straying to her features every once in a while, compassion blooming in his chest at the sight of her conflicted expression.

"No, there was no sign of her. Unless there's a hidden section in the Uninfected Shelter." (Y/n) replied, holding her head in her hands as she sat at the kitchen table. "Her name wasn't on any of the many doors."

Tobias hummed, silently thinking about his next choice of words.

He could lie to (Y/n), tell her that this was the end and that there was no chance of her finding her sister anymore. He could lie to (Y/n) and convince her to go back home, where she belonged and where she was safe from a society that aimed at destroying her.

Or he could tell her the truth and contribute to her possible demise.

But Tobias had a feeling that even if he lied to her, (Y/n) would probably double check with Marcus anyways, and he knew that his grandfather would probably be here to tell her the truth. So really, Tobias knew there was no point in lying. (Y/n) would end up learning the truth one way or another. And Tobias had a feeling that even without the truth, (Y/n) probably wouldn't agree to leave until she had exhausted every possible means to find her sister.

That said, he might as well be honest and spare both of them the trouble.

"The best we can do at this point is to help her and ensure she's as safe as can be by granting her a place to stay and some pointers." Was what Marcus had told him, and in spite of his reluctance, Tobias knew this was true.

So it was settled then.

"Okay," Tobias heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could already feel a headache creeping in at the thought of the mess he was getting himself into. "She must have been taken in by an Infected already." Which wouldn't make their job easy. Not in the slightest.

"What? But she only arrived two days ago. Surely she can't have been taken by someone that fast." (Y/n) tried to argue, anxiety clear in her voice.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Tobias leaned back further against the kitchen counter, holding (Y/n)'s gaze. "Love at first sight is the norm for many of us here. Someone might have taken a liking to your sister right off the bat. It's highly probable."

Honestly Tobias wondered how (Y/n) would have survived in the city if Marcus and himself hadn't been here to take her in and guide her through it. Because from the looks of it she knew nothing of what she had gotten herself into. Part of him admired her courage for jumping in to save her sister, but another bigger part of him saw her as incredibly reckless.

Proof of this being how she had carelessly interacted with a total stranger, a total stranger who not only was an Infected but was also the mayor's son. (Y/n) was completely unaware of what living in the city entailed.

"Fair enough." (Y/n) said with a sigh, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "And, is there a way for me to know who took her?"

She was tired, from crying and hyperventilating. She didn't have it in her to argue anymore. Not like she could anyways, for as much as it annoyed her to admit it, she knew Tobias was right. She had to remember that people around here were all Infected. Nothing was normal about romance in the city.

Anxiety squeezed at her chest at the thought. Gosh, she was such a moron, wasn't she?

"The US keeps tabs on who takes who. Something about 'Uninfected protection' in case the Infected turns out to be abusive." Tobias said, and (Y/n) would have asked him about what an abusive partner looked like to an Infected society that solely relied on toxic dynamics, but she was too preoccupied with his answer to care. "If you get your hands on these documents, you'd be able to see who took your sister and get their address. The US is closed on weekends though, so we'll have to wait until Monday."

Monday. That was two days away and (Y/n) really didn't like the idea of waiting that long. She hated the thought of Grey enduring another second of whatever she was currently going through. Surely there had to be another way-

"Don't even think about it." Tobias said. "We're absolutely not breaking in. You're already in a precarious situation. Breaking in the US and getting yourself involved with the authorities really isn't a plan."

Hell, (Y/n) hated how he seemed to see right through her intentions. But then again, Tobias wasn't wrong. Gathering attention when she was trying to keep it low wasn't a good idea and was sure to get her in trouble.

Still, (Y/n) hated the idea of waiting. She felt so useless.

Tobias breathed out a quiet sigh, closing the distance between the two of them and once again kneeling in front of her. Unable to hide the sympathy in his gaze as he gazed up into her eyes.

"We'll find her, okay." He said, "And then you'll go back home and never step foot here ever again."

He didn't know if they'd ever find (Y/n)'s sister. But it was clear that she wouldn't leave until they had tried everything. So whatever the outcome was, Tobias would help her as much he could, if only to make her leave the city.

"Alright." (Y/n) nodded, a small smile on her lips. Even so, Tobias could see the distress in her eyes. The doubt and the fear. And he wished he could have helped with that, but at this point in time there was nothing he could do.

So he stood up, patted her shoulder and offered her an encouraging smile.

"Good." He said, "I just have one request in exchange for my help though."

"Yes?"

"The guy you bumped into earlier? Avoid him as much as you can. Same goes for virtually anyone else you meet here. You never know who you're dealing with." Tobias said, "And more often than not, chances are it's not a good person."

And Tobias didn't realize it just yet, but the irony of his words would soon come back to bite him where it hurt.

For one of the biggest threats to (Y/n) in this city, would soon turn out to be him.