The Apocalypse Took Everything, This Time I Hoard It All First
Chapter 38: Don’t Want to Lose You

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Don’t Want to Lose You

Kevin Keane looked at the others. "If you don’t speak up now, you’ll still die if you turn."

Drew Dunn had learned his lesson this time and didn’t dare speak out of turn. He looked at Dexter Wallace. "Dexter, what’s wrong with your leg?"

When Terry Thorne had ripped Agatha Palmer’s face off, Drew had been so scared he’d bolted into the bathroom, so he hadn’t seen what else happened in the room.

But that crazed woman had clearly kicked Dexter in the stomach, not his leg.

"I... When Jasmine and I were running out, I hit the coffee table and sprained it!" Dexter explained hurriedly. "Jasmine and I fell to the floor—didn’t you guys see?"

Shane Shaw frowned, his expression grave as he looked at Dexter’s left leg. "Roll up your pant leg. Let’s see."

Dexter had no choice but to reluctantly roll up his pant leg.

There was a large gash on his calf. The skin was broken and red, and the surrounding muscle was slightly swollen. It looked nasty.

"The coffee table really did scrape me!"

But as soon as he rolled up his pant leg, Jasmine Donovan recoiled as if burned. She abruptly let go of his arm and staggered back a couple of steps, her face filled with terror. "No! When we were applying medicine, Terry Thorne grabbed you! You’re going to get infected and turn!"

"It’s just a scratch!" Dexter’s emotions erupted, his tone a mixture of panic and fury. "He grabbed you too back then! You’re fine, so what makes you think I’ll turn?! Jasmine, come back! I would never hurt you!"

His voice echoed through the empty living room, laced with a desperate plea.

After yelling, he forced himself to calm down, his tone softening. His eyes grew moist, like a puppy about to be abandoned by its owner, full of pathetic humility.

"Jasmine, I really won’t hurt you. Please don’t hide from me, okay?"

But Jasmine Donovan didn’t dare get any closer. She raised a hand to cover the barely visible scratch on her jaw and shuffled over to Drew Dunn, grabbing his sleeve as if terrified of being contaminated by Dexter.

"His nail just scraped me—my chin didn’t even bleed! I’m not like you! You were scratched by a zombie until you bled! You’re going to turn!"

Jasmine had just watched a classmate turn and die. Her psyche was already in shambles, and her voice was filled with terror.

Drew Dunn looked at the small, helpless Jasmine beside him, and his protective instincts flared. He raised a hand to shield her.

"Jasmine, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you!"

"Oh, real nice, Drew!" Dexter’s eyes were bloodshot. He stared venomously at their clasped sleeves, his voice dripping with resentment and bitterness. "I thought you were my brother, and you’re trying to steal my girl while I’m down! None of you are any good!"

With that, he limped over to a nearby sofa and sat down. He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, whether from rage or despair, it was hard to tell.

Everyone was speechless for a moment. After all, they had been university classmates for several years. Although they had argued over the past few days, there was still a bond between them. Seeing him in this state, no one had the heart to criticize him further.

Drew Dunn quickly explained, "Dexter, don’t get the wrong idea! I just wanted to help her. I didn’t mean anything else!"

Jasmine also realized her actions had been too obvious. She chose her words carefully and said, "Dexter, I was just scared... How about this: you go isolate yourself in a room for half an hour. If nothing happens, you can come out. Okay?"

Dexter looked up, gazing dazedly at Jasmine, and slowly nodded. "Okay... But I can’t walk. Jasmine, can you help me over? Please?"

He struggled to stand but fell heavily back onto the sofa, looking utterly weak.

Jasmine felt her temples throb, but seeing everyone’s eyes on her, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Trembling, she walked toward him step by step.

Those few short steps felt like a lifetime to her. Her mind was a chaotic mess, filled with the fear of being attacked by zombies.

The instant she reached out to support Dexter’s arm, he suddenly unleashed a shocking burst of strength, yanking her forward and pinning her tightly in his embrace.

It was a level of force that someone who could barely even stand moments ago shouldn’t have possessed!

No one had time to react; they could only watch helplessly as it happened.

The next second, Dexter lunged his head down and bit viciously into the back of Jasmine’s right hand. His eyes were as ferocious as a vengeful ghost starved for eight hundred years in hell, the obsession in them nearly overflowing.

"AHHH—!!!"

Jasmine’s shrill scream pierced the living room, assaulting everyone’s eardrums.

She struggled frantically, kicking and flailing, trying to break free from Dexter’s arms, but the man’s strength was astonishing. He held her in an iron grip, leaving her unable to move.

"This is the hand that touched another man, isn’t it?!"

Dexter released his bite, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His tone was sinister as he reached out, grabbed Jasmine’s face, and forced her to look at him, his eyes churning with madness.

"Jasmine, you can only be mine! This life, and the next! Even if I turn, I will never let you leave me!"

Luna Dawson watched this melodramatic soap opera unfold, her delicate brows knitting together. She tightened her grip on her gun, warily keeping an eye on the crazy couple.

Kevin Keane was also on high alert, his gaze locked on Dexter and Jasmine, ready to act at any moment.

Jasmine trembled like a leaf in Dexter’s arms. The wound on the back of her hand burned with pain as tears of fear streamed down her face. "Dexter... let me go... I’m scared..."

But Dexter completely ignored her fear. His eyes were filled with a twisted tenderness as he raised a hand to wipe away her tears, his fingertips carrying the stench of blood.

"Jasmine, don’t be afraid. I just don’t want to lose you. As long as you stay by my side obediently, I won’t hurt you again, okay?"

As he spoke, he unzipped his jacket, wrapping it around her as he pulled her tighter into his embrace, as if trying to merge her into his very bones and blood.

Drew Dunn froze for a second, then snapped to his senses and rushed forward, trying to pull Jasmine from Dexter’s grasp.

"Dexter! Are you crazy?! You’re going to hurt her!"

"Get lost!"

Dexter’s head snapped up, his eyes like those of a starving wolf. Several sharp earthen spikes suddenly shot up from the ground at his feet, pointing straight at Drew and blocking his path.

"Don’t touch my Jasmine!"

Nancy Sullivan watched the scene spiral out of control and shouted anxiously, "Dexter! You’ve awakened a superpower! Snap out of it!"

"Snap out of it?" Dexter sneered, looking down at the trembling Jasmine in his arms. "I’ve never been clearer! She was always mine, right from the very beginning!"

Jasmine was already scared out of her wits by him and began to struggle more violently. But after just a few seconds, she suddenly started convulsing!

HNGH...

"I’m... so... scared..."

HNGH... HNGH... HNGHH!

A resentful whisper escaped her lips, only to be immediately drowned out by a zombie’s roar.

On her jaw, where Terry Thorne had scratched her earlier, dark purple veins began to spread wildly. They crawled from the corners of her mouth across her entire face. In an instant, her delicate features were covered in grotesque patterns.

The fear in her eyes was gradually replaced by a murky chaos until, a few seconds later, only a zombie’s ravenous bloodlust remained.

"Wh-what’s happening?!" Drew cried out in alarm, instinctively taking a step back, his face a mask of disbelief. "It’s Jasmine! She’s turning?!"

The group froze on the spot, stunned by the scene. The one who ended up turning was Jasmine!

Nancy Sullivan was so scared she clapped a hand over her mouth, nearly screaming. Shane Shaw’s brow furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with shock.

Luna Dawson and Kevin Keane exchanged a look. While their expressions flickered with surprise, they weren’t entirely shocked.

Getting injured by a zombie meant turning was a high-probability event. Not even Superpower Users were exempt, though their chances of turning were slightly lower than a normal person’s.