Chương 9: chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The Hellsing driver turned to me and nodded. "We've arrived," he said, stopping the van.

I hopped out, the crisp night air hitting my face as I took in the area. It was eerily quiet. This was the area of town where people had gone missing… only to turn up half-eaten. Three more Hellsing vans were parked nearby, each one packed with trained soldiers on standby.

I tapped the mic in my ear as Captain Rodriguez's voice crackled through. "Good luck, Valerie," he said.

"Thanks, Captain," I muttered, scanning the deserted streets with my vampiric senses. Not a single heartbeat or human scent reached me. Nothing but stale air and decay…

I knew from experience so far that that meant I was about to stumble upon some fucked up shit..

I made my way down the cracked sidewalk, passing a few dilapidated buildings that looked like they hadn't been touched in years. My first stop was a large, abandoned warehouse. The garage doors were padlocked so this probably wasn't the place where I'd find my monster, but I had to check anyway.

"Alohomora," I called out while aiming my left hand. The blood gems on my bracelet glowed faintly. The locks all opened and fell to the ground. I pulled open the large garage door, and I stepped inside. This warehouse was locked up tight and completely deserted, not even rats lived here.

I closed the door behind me and started moving on. "The warehouse is clear." I said while tapping my ear.

"Copy that," Rodriguez's voice came back. "Try the grocery store on your right. The door looks slightly ajar..."

Sure enough, the next building was a small, rundown grocery store. I pushed the door open slowly, the bell overhead ringing faintly. Inside, the shelves were mostly empty, layers of dust and dirt covering everything.

The thought hit me then, something I hadn't fully processed before. There were far too many abandoned properties and neighborhoods in this world. Back in my old world, sure, you had run-down areas and the occasional empty building, but here? It felt like whole sections of the City were just… deserted sometimes. The more I thought about it, the fewer homeless people I saw on the streets too in this world.

"They're prey," I muttered under my breath. They were easy targets for the creatures that roamed the streets at night in this world.

"Valerie?" Rodriguez's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, Captain. Just thinking," I replied. I stepped carefully over the discarded cans and broken glass as I made my way through the abandoned grocery store. At first glance, this place looked just as empty as the warehouse, but then something caught my attention. The majority of the floor was covered in dust and cobwebs, except for a narrow, clear path leading to the back of the store. Weird-shaped footprints pressed into the dirt, along with long, wide swaths—like something had been dragging bodies through here repeatedly.

I tapped my mic twice, a silent signal to Captain Rodriguez and the team that I was going radio silent from here on.

My hand slipped into my red coat, fingers wrapping around the cool metal of my revolver. With a flick of my thumb, I silently clicked off the safety and crept forward.

That's when I caught it—the faint, familiar stench of blood. The scent was muted, barely noticeable until now.

Then I felt the sudden drop in temperature. I stopped in front of a large industrial freezer near the back of the store. That's probably what was muting the smells. The heavy steel door was slightly cracked open, frost creeping along the edges. Despite the store being abandoned, this freezer was still running for some reason. I'm not even sure how, I don't think this place even received power anymore.

I took a deep breath, already knowing what I was going to find behind that door. I nudged it open with my gun.

It was a grisly scene inside. Human bodies, half-eaten, frozen solid, were piled haphazardly on top of each other like meat in a butcher's shop.

"Fucking disgusting…" I muttered under my breath.

I tapped my mic three times, letting Rodriguez know I'd found something major, but I still couldn't break the silence. I knew the monster couldn't be far. No creature goes to the trouble of setting up a feeding ground like this and just leaves. I backed away from the freezer with my gun raised. Alucard always told me to trust my instincts. I glanced around the store, feeling a prickling sensation at the back of my neck. There was that eerie feeling, the one where you just know something's watching you. I let my gaze sweep over the dark corners of the store, and then I saw it.

There was a creature hunched in the shadows, its twisted form would have been barely visible to human eyes—but my eyes weren't human. The creature didn't realize I could see it as it stared at me.

It looked humanoid, at least from the waist up. The torso and face could have belonged to a handsome man, if it wasn't smeared with dried blood and… other things. But the lower half was something else entirely. From the waist down, it was completely reptilian with jagged green scales that reminded me of an alligator.

I tightened my grip on the revolver and raised it, pointing the barrel right at the monster. It noticed me then, its eyes glinting with malice as it started to chuckle. "What's this? Has an exorcist come to play with me?" it sneered. "They send me a little girl this time? Pathetic!"

I kept my gun trained on it. "I'm no exorcist, and what the hell are you supposed to be?" I asked. He was just plain fucking weird looking.

The creature's grin widened, and it let out an eerie laugh. "I'm your worst nightmare," it hissed, leaning forwards out of the shadows. "I'm the Devil, girl!"

I raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Yeah, right," I said. "You know, I've heard about Devil's before, I was just expecting…more." I said honestly. That old magician back in Tepes Castle had been enslaved by a Devil, but it obviously wasn't anything like this one. This one didn't scream cunning trickster, just a feral monster.

"Bitch!" Without any warning, the Devil snarled and lunged at me! In a mad dash, it tore through shelves and knocked over everything in its path. It wasn't even trying to make itself a harder target to hit…

I took aim and fired off two quick shots with my revolver. The gun barely kicked back in my hand despite the massive rounds it fired. The bullets both found their marks, slamming into the creature's legs with wet, sickening thuds. One of my rounds even tore through its right kneecap.

It let out a shriek of pain and outrage as it stumbled and skid on its face across the dusty floor. Black blood began to pool on the floor as the so-called "devil" writhed in agony, cursing my very existence.

His deep, guttural voice echoed through the empty store. "What the hell are those bullets!? How did they breach my beautiful scales!?" he howled, clutching at his wounded legs.

"They're .50 caliber silver bullets," I replied coolly, lowering my gun slightly but keeping it ready, just in case the devil tried something. "As for how they got through your scales, that's probably the holy water I bathe all of my bullets in." I couldn't help but smirk as his rage-filled eyes widened.

"Curse you, bitch!" he spat, black blood dripping from his lips. "I thought you said you weren't an exorcist!"

I shrugged casually. "I don't think the church tolerates my kind any more than yours." Slowly, I stepped closer to the downed creature.

That's when it hit me—the scent of its blood. The black blood looked foul, like sludge, but it smelled… intoxicating. Way better than disgusting goblin blood had smelled! My mouth watered as I took another breath, savoring the scent. I licked my lips, my thirst rising.

Integra had sent me out on this emergency mission, and I hadn't had time for dinner. Hell, there hadn't even been any blood bags in the van on the way over. Although, was it really a good idea to drink blood from a creature I knew next to nothing about?

In the back of my mind, I could almost hear Alucard's voice mocking me…

"Don't be a pussy, girl! Blood is blood! Drink up!"

I chuckled to myself. "Eh, good enough for me." I gazed down at the devil hungrily.

I could see the Devil's eyes widen in realization as panic set it. "Wait! Y-You're a vampire!? Why the hell are you attacking me? Shouldn't you understand the plight of a Stray Devil? We both have to feed on humans to survive after all! Cut me a break!"

I tilted my head, tapping my revolver against my thigh thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what a Stray Devil is, but you're not wrong." I fiddled absently with a strand of my long blonde hair, enjoying how his desperation grew with each passing second. "However, I have standards. I don't attack innocent people." I paused for a second, a wicked grin spreading across my face as an old memory surfaced. Well… excluding those three homeless men when I first arrived in London, of course.

The devil's eyes widened even more. He spun around on the floor and tried to drag himself away from me, smearing more black blood across the floor. How wasteful…

"No! Stay back! You can't—"

I crouched down beside him, ignoring his pathetic pleas. "Sorry, but you smell too good to pass up. Plus I skipped dinner…" I opened my mouth and my fangs started to extend out.

"Wait! Wait! I can help you! I can—"

"Don't worry," I whispered with a menacing grin. "This won't hurt… much." That was not true…

And with that, I sank my fangs into his neck. His blood was rich, and more powerful than anything I'd tasted since Alucard's blood. I could tell that it was definitely not human blood I was drinking… but still, it was utterly delicious.

As I drank from the stray Devil's neck, I couldn't suppress the moan that escaped my lips. The taste of his blood, rich and intoxicating, was overwhelming. He thrashed beneath me, clawing at my arms with a feeble desperation, but I was stronger—far stronger—and held him in place effortlessly, savoring mouthful after mouthful.

My body began to react in ways I hadn't expected. My thighs rubbed together unconsciously as an unexpected wave of ecstasy coursed through me. My lips pulled back from his neck, and I moaned louder this time, a shudder ripping through me that left me breathless. My tongue lolled out of my mouth as I panted, feeling the damp spot growing between my legs.

Did I just…?

The realization hit me and I giggled. My hand instinctively brushed against my chest, my nipples were completely stiff.

Yep, I just had an orgasm…

I let out a soft laugh, still a little dazed. "Well, that's… a bit embarrassing."

Glancing down, I noticed the devil had stopped moving completely. He was drained dry.

Mission accomplished, at least. All I needed to do was call Captain Rodriguez and let him know the cleanup crew could start securing the area.

Before I could tap my earpiece, Rodriguez's voice crackled in my ear. "Heads up, Valerie. We've got two unknowns just popped up on the radar heading down the street toward your location. One's huge, built like a bodybuilder, and the other's a tall, busty blonde babe."

I blinked, my mind snapping back to reality. A large bodybuilder and a busty blonde babe?

Interesting descriptions there, Captain…

I straightened myself out, shaking off the last remnants of the euphoric high from the Stray Devil's blood. I quickly loaded a couple new rounds into my revolver just in case things went sideways with these new arrivals.

"Any idea who they are?" I asked, tapping my earpiece.

"Negative. They're approaching the grocery store now…"

I watched as the two arrivals stepped into the dimly lit grocery store. The captain's description had been spot-on. The man was tall and broad-shouldered with chiseled features and tousled dark hair. The woman was a statuesque blonde with a heart shaped face and a perfect curvy figure.

The pair stiffened the moment they laid eyes on me standing over the Stray Devil's lifeless body. My shirt stained with fresh blood, and a gun in my hand. I cleared my throat and offered a half-hearted wave. "Uh… hey there."

The man ran a hand through his hair, his fingers gripping it in frustration. He let out a small curse. "Damn it. We're too late!"

I tensed at his words, suspicion creeping into my mind. Were these two allies of the Stray Devil I just killed? I subtly adjusted my grip on my revolver.

The woman must've picked up on my wariness, because she quickly stepped forward, her hands raised in what seemed like a gesture of peace. "Hello," she greeted in an almost musical voice. "My name is Kuisha Abaddon, and this is my king, Sairaorg Bael." She gestured to the man beside her, who gave a curt nod. "I take it you were the one who killed Max?" she asked.

I tilted my head. "I didn't know what his name was," I replied honestly. "But yeah, I killed him. Are you his allies?"

Kuisha shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. We were actually hunting Max ourselves," she explained. "We needed to capture him and wring some information out of him that was important to my king." She glanced at Sairaorg, who remained silent, his eyes fixed on the body.

"Why do you call him your 'king'?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that some kind of… sex thing?"

Both Sairaorg and Kuisha snorted in unison.

Kuisha laughed softly before shaking her head. "No, it's not a 'sex thing,'" she clarified. "In devil society, those who serve a High-Class Devil are referred to as their 'peerage.' Sairaorg is my 'King' because I am in service to him."

I processed that for a moment, my fingers tapping the side of my gun. "So… you're both Devils?" They looked nothing like the one I just killed.

"Yes," Kuisha confirmed. "And from the blood all over you, I'd wager you're a vampire?"

"I'm a dhampir, actually," I corrected, narrowing my eyes slightly. "Valerie Tepes. And no, I'm not related to that disgusting Tepes clan." I added the last part quickly. I didn't need anyone assuming I had any ties to those lunatics.

"Interesting," Kuisha said, her tone genuinely curious. She took a step forward, hands still raised in a non-threatening manner. Despite the calmness in her demeanor, I stayed on edge. Just because these two were different from the Stray Devil I just killed didn't mean I could trust them. The only other devils I'd heard of, up until this point, had both been assholes.

Kuisha noticed my tense posture and paused. "Relax," she said. "We're not here to fight you. We've been tracking Max for weeks now… All for naught it seems." she let out a sigh.

I could see the genuine pain in Kuisha's and Sairaorg's eyes. Whatever information this Stray Devil had must've been incredibly important to them. Their sad expressions were enough to make me feel a bit guilty—not for killing Max, of course. He was a monster that deserved his fate.

After dealing with horrible vampires most of my life, I liked to think of myself as a pretty good judge of character, and these two devils weren't giving off any bad vibes to me. If anything, they seemed to be around my age, and I figured this could be an opportunity to make two more friends and, perhaps, get some proper intel on Devil society. Integra was always happy to get more information on supernatural threats, after all.

I lowered my gun, deciding to take a chance. "Look," I started, "I might have a way to get the information you need…"

Sairaorg's eyes flickered with a mix of hope and skepticism. "How?" he asked. "He's completely dead. And once a devil dies, even with our Evil Pieces, there's no way to bring them back."

I shook my head. "I don't even know what those 'Evil Pieces' are," I admitted. "But when Nosferatu—true vampires—drain someone of all their blood and life force, we take a piece of them inside of us. My father, Alucard, is able to completely absorb a person's memories and experiences by doing this." I hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of what I was offering. "I've never done it myself, but I could… learn, with enough time. I could try to access Max's memories and find out what you both want to know from them."

Both devils perked up at my offer. Kuisha was the first to speak. "I've never heard of vampires having such an ability," she admitted.

I couldn't help but smirk a little. "That's because you've probably only dealt with weak vampires," I replied. "The ones who aren't directly descended from the originals, like Dracula." I carefully omitted the part where I was Dracula's blood daughter. Trust had to be earned, and these two weren't quite there yet. I wasn't about to lay all my cards on the table with Devils I'd just met, no matter how chill they seemed.

Sairaorg took a deep breath, and gave me a small, grateful smile. "If you could do that, then I would be in your debt. What I need to know… it's very personal," he admitted.

He started to explain, and I listened carefully. He spoke about his mother, and how she had contracted some kind of disease that only devils could get. But Sairaorg was suspicious of the circumstances and thinks the disease might actually have been a poison or curse. Apparently, Max used to be a member of Sairaorg's mother's peerage. As soon as she fell ill, Max had fled without a trace mysteriously. Sairaorg suspects that Max knew what really happened to his mother.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. It wasn't easy to see someone close to you suffer, and not knowing the truth about it was even worse. I might have been able to heal this disease with my Healing Grail—but once again, I kept my mouth shut. Trust needed to be earned, and that was something I wasn't ready to offer yet.

"Alright," I said, extending my hand. "I'll do my best to find out what Max knew."

Sairaorg clasped my hand firmly, the gratitude clear in his eyes. "Thank you, Valerie."

Kuisha stepped forward, pulling out a sleek phone and tapping on it before offering it to me. "Here's our contact information. Sairaorg isn't… particularly good at demonic communication spells, so he just uses a regular phone to keep in touch with everyone." She shot him an amused look, and I caught Sairaorg rolling his eyes in response.

I chuckled as I took the phone, adding their number to my own contacts. It felt almost surreal to be casually trading phone numbers with Devils, but here we were. Once we were done, Kuisha slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned her attention back to me.

"So, Valerie," Kuisha asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "What were you doing out here in the first place?"

"Me?" I shrugged. "I work for an organization called Hellsing. We mostly hunt down evil vampires, but we'll go after other monsters if it means protecting the citizens of Britain." I glanced down at Max's lifeless body. "Honestly, I didn't even know what Max was when I started tracking him down. He was just being sloppy and left a trail of half-eaten bodies across London."

Both Sairaorg and Kuisha exchanged a look, and then they turned back to me, a shared expression of regret on their faces.

"We're sorry for that," Sairaorg said, his voice genuinely apologetic. "A Stray Devil is a Devil servant who has abandoned their master and gone rogue. When that happens, they often lose control of their power, their desires… and become something twisted."

Kuisha sighed and folded her arms. "Devils are bound to their king by magic and loyalty. When that bond is severed, especially by a deliberate act of treachery, it can cause a sort of madness. Their power becomes unstable, their desires unrestrained, and without the guidance of their king, they lose their sanity."

I wasn't entirely sure how much I bought that explanation, but I let it go for now. It's not like I had any counter-information to argue against what they told me. And frankly, trying to out-debate two devils about their own society wasn't exactly on my to-do list tonight.

With the business side of things mostly settled, I felt a bit of boldness creeping in. Maybe it was the lingering rush from my recent meal or just the fact that I was standing between two ridiculously attractive devils, but… I decided to try flirting a little.

"So," I started, trying to keep my voice casual, "do either of you two come to places like this often?" I flashed what I hoped was a charming smile, but inwardly, I cringed right after the words came out of my mouth.

Oh God, that was terrible…

Kuisha chuckled in a way that made my embarrassment spike. "Actually, yes," she replied. "We do come to places like this quite often. Stray devils usually choose rundown human locations to hide out in. The worse the area, the easier it is to avoid attention for them."

"Right," I said, trying to sound like I knew that already. "Makes sense..."

She continued, "Taking down stray devils and recovering their Evil Pieces is also a good way to make money in the underworld. The Devil Kings who lost their pieces them will often pay handsomely for their recovery."

I glanced down at Max's lifeless body, an idea forming. There was probably an Evil Piece inside this guy, and that piece originally belonged to Sairaorg's mother. She'd probably want it back once she was cured of her disease. I couldn't help but smirk a little. "So… how much for his Evil Piece?" I asked, a hint of cheekiness slipping into my voice.

Sairaorg and Kuisha exchanged a look—one that felt almost like they were communicating silently. Then, as if they had rehearsed it, they both slowly leaned closer to me. I was caught off guard by their sudden shift in demeanor.

"...We're a little strapped for cash at the moment," Kuisha said, her voice lowering into a seductive purr as she took hold of my arm and pressed it close to her chest. The warmth of her skin through the thin fabric made my heart jump a little. "Could you… give us a bit of a discount?" she asked, tilting her head cutely and fluttering her eyelashes at me.

"Yeah, it would mean a lot to us," Sairaorg added, leaning in close to my other side. His deep voice was almost a whisper in my ear. "And of course, we'd owe you another favor in return…"

I could feel my face heating up as they boxed me in with their flirtatious smiles. I tried to play it cool, but all I managed was an awkward sputter as I nodded. "Uh, y-yeah, sure. I mean… I'll give you a discount."

Kuisha's smirk widened, and I couldn't tell if she was just pleased or holding back laughter at how easily I caved. She pulled out a checkbook from… somewhere. Honestly, I didn't even know where she was keeping it. I didn't see a purse or pocket or anything on her very tight outfit. She scribbled on the check and handed it to me.

I glanced down at the amount.

20,000 British pounds.

That was a couple of months' worth of my salary in one go. I couldn't help but feel pretty pleased with the outcome—despite being fairly sure I just got scammed by these two…

Kuisha's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Your attempt at flirting was cute, especially for someone with obviously no experience at it," she said, a teasing grin on her face.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks and knew I was blushing like an idiot. "Hey, I—" I started to protest, but she waved it off with another laugh.

"We'd love to stick around and tease you more," she continued, "but unfortunately, the rest of Sairaorg's peerage is waiting for us back in the underworld. We have to train for an upcoming Rating Game."

"Good luck?" I offered, my confusion probably showing on my face. I had no idea what a Rating Game was.

Sairaorg turned to me with a confident smirk. "We'll be sure to keep in contact, little dhampir," he said with a wink and a chuckle of his own.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes a little.

They both walked over to Max's lifeless body, and Kuisha began muttering some sort of incantation in a language I didn't recognize. Symbols lit up on the floor beneath all three of them. A second later, they vanished, leaving me standing there alone in the now-empty grocery store.

I let out a huff and pocketed the check. "That was definitely an interesting experience," I muttered to myself. Not exactly how I thought my night would go, but then again, working for Hellsing meant nothing ever really went as planned. Sure, Integra might be annoyed that I couldn't bring back a devil's body for research, but hopefully, she'd be happy that I made some new acquaintances… maybe even friends? I was getting pretty good at that lately.

I tapped my earpiece. "Captain Rodriguez, everything's clear," I reported. "The cleanup team can move in and handle the evidence and the human bodies."

"Copy that, Valerie," Rodriguez replied. "You can head back to the Van for a debrief."

"On my way."

XXX

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Chương 10: chapter 10

Chapter 10:

– Valerie –

When I stepped through the gates of Hellsing Manor, an unfamiliar scent hit me. It was the scent of a vampire. But it wasn't one I recognized.

The soldiers I passed in the hall gave me familiar nods, a few offering words of praise for my last mission.

"Good work out there, Valerie!"

"Glad you're back in one piece!"

I offered quick smiles and nods in return, but my focus was locked on the scent. I let it lead me down toward the basement where my father, Alucard, liked to spend his time. It was always dark and damp down there, a fitting haunt for someone as ancient and strange as he was.

Pushing the heavy door open, I found him standing there with two women. One of them was Bellatrix Black. Alucard's newest "companion."

The other was a blonde girl I didn't recognize, dressed in a slightly out-of-place police uniform and sporting… quite an impressive chest, to put it mildly.

She looked surprised as I walked in.

Alucard turned to me. "Ah, Valerie, my daughter. Come, meet my newest sire and our new recruit."

I gave him a wry smile. "You've been busy it seems," I murmured.

He chuckled. "This," he said, gesturing grandly, "is the Police Girl."

The blonde looked a little flustered as she cleared her throat. "Actually, it's Seras. Seras Victoria," she corrected, glancing up at Alucard with a hint of exasperation.

"Police Girl suits you just fine," Alucard replied with a grin, obviously enjoying himself.

I sighed, more out of habit than frustration. My father could be infuriatingly stubborn, but it was all part of his strange charm.

I stepped forward, offering her a hand. "Nice to meet you, Seras. I'm Valerie Tepes—Alucard's blood daughter and a dhampir."

"Dhampir…" she echoed, giving me a curious glance. "So, you're half human?"

I nodded. "Yep, part-human, part-vampire. It has all the perks and none of the downsides."

Seras laughed softly, still looking a bit overwhelmed. "It's… kind of a lot to take in," she admitted. "I've only been a vampire for, what… less than a day."

I raised an eyebrow. She seemed remarkably put together for someone so recently turned. Supposedly, new vampires could sometimes be borderline feral, all they wanted was blood. It could take months for them to chill out.

"Well, you're in good hands, at least." I shot a quick look at Alucard, who was watching us with a smug look on his face. "Father here is an expert," I added, a little sarcastically. "You'll learn a lot. Just… don't let him call you only 'Police Girl' for the rest of eternity…"

Alucard smirked, crossing his arms. "But it suits her so well," he said with a glint in his eyes.

Seras gave a small sigh, though I could see a hint of a smile forming. "I suppose I'll get used to it." She looked back at me, clearly more comfortable now. "So, Valerie, do you also work at Hellsing?"

"Yep, I just finished killing a Devil," I chuckled at her shocked look.

"Devils are real too!?" Seras was wide-eyed.

"Everything is real, Seras," I told her while gesturing to the silent Bellatrix. "Bellatrix over there is a witch. But now she's…whatever Alucard wants her to be."

Bellatrix shot me a glare but couldn't exactly argue against what I'd said.

"So, Seras… how exactly did you end up as one of us?" I asked.

She blinked, then gave a little smile before launching into her story. "Well… it started when I was sent to investigate a small town. It had suddenly gone dark, no communication at all. I was still with the police back then, and my partner and I were assigned to check it out." She looked down, her voice softening. "I… had no idea vampires or any of this supernatural stuff even existed. Neither did my partner. He didn't make it…."

I nodded, keeping silent but giving her a sympathetic look as she gathered herself. She seemed to still be processing it all.

Seras took a breath and continued, "The vampire Alucard eventually killed was… well, he was monstrous. That thing tore my partner apart right in front of me." Her hands clenched into fists, her jaw tightening as she spoke. "And then he used me as bait. I didn't think I'd make it out of there."

Seras took a shaky breath, then added, "Then, Alucard showed up, but… well, he didn't hesitate. He aimed his gun at the other vampire, but…" She looked at me with a strange expression. "He… shot through my chest to get to him."

"What?" I turned to Alucard with a glare. "You had to shoot through her? That was your only option?" I asked in disbelief.

Alucard simply chuckled, an amused glint in his eyes. "What's wrong, my dear? Are you so delicate as to think I would let some filthy vampire live just to avoid a little collateral damage?"

Seras interjected, her tone calm but resolute. "The vampire was holding me hostage, Valerie. He really didn't have much of a choice." She shrugged. "Besides, it worked, didn't it? I'm still here… just a little different now."

I sighed, shaking my head. She was taking this well—better than I had expected, honestly. But she hadn't felt the full impact of what she was yet. "Trust me, Seras, you're only scratching the surface of what it means to be a vampire. You haven't completed the transformation yet."

Seras gave me a questioning look, frowning. "What do you mean?"

I looked her in the eyes. "Until you drink human blood, you're only halfway there. It's why you don't feel… that different. But once you do, things will change. You'll feel the real power, the strength...the thirst," I finished while licking my lips.

Seras swallowed, clearly unnerved by that last detail. "So… could I, I dunno, hold off on drinking blood then? Just… for a while?"

I crossed my arms "That sounds like a terrible idea," I started. "Especially with everything happening right now—the magical world is a mess. A half-turned vampire isn't what we—"

"Enough, Valerie," Alucard interrupted, holding up a hand with a wicked grin. "If the Police Girl doesn't want to drink blood just yet, that's her choice. But she'll drink in the end, whether she wants to or not." His laugh echoed darkly in the room, as if he already knew how this would play out.

I let out a frustrated huff, narrowing my eyes at him. "You're impossible," I muttered before turning and storming out.

As I made my way down the hallway, I heard the faint sound of footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Seras following me, looking awkward and a bit lost. She scratched the back of her head, offering a small, sheepish smile. "Um… I think I've been kicked out." She looked away. "Master…said he wanted to spend some private time with his new mistress..."

I groaned, throwing a hand over my eyes. "Please, don't put that mental image in my head." Bellatrix was super hot, but I'd rather not have the picture of Alucard fucking her in my mind before bed. My dreams would all be very weird nightmares!

Seras chuckled nervously, then looked around, obviously unsure of where to go from here. She probably didn't even have her own room yet if Alucard literally just brought her back. I motioned for her to follow me.

I let out a tired sigh as we reached my room, running a hand through my hair. "Seras, no offense, but I've had a really long day. Even creatures of the night need a break now and then, and I'm mentally done," I said, already picturing the comfort of my bed. "If they haven't assigned you a room in the manor yet, you're welcome to crash here."

Seras blinked, her cheeks going pink. She stammered, clearly flustered, which made me raise an eyebrow. She had to be at least three or four years older than me, yet she was acting like I'd just proposed something scandalous.

I stifled a yawn as I swung the door open and made my way to the closet. "Look, just make yourself at home," I muttered, slipping out of my jacket and tossing it to the far side of the room. It landed with a soft thud, it had dried Devil blood all over it. Either it would be burned or studied by someone more interested in it than I was. I didn't mind, I had plenty of spares.

Seras shifted nervously behind me as I continued to shed my dirty clothes, not giving it a second thought. I pulled on my pajamas—a loose t-shirt and shorts—before turning around, only to find her watching me with wide eyes, her face now a brilliant shade of red.

"What?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"I… can't believe you just changed in front of someone you barely know," she spluttered, almost tripping over her words. "Weren't you e–embarrassed?"

I shrugged, climbing onto the bed. "Not really. In the grand scheme of things, that's way down the list of things that freak me out." I gave her a casual smile. "You know, vampire stuff and all." Well, she probably didn't know quite yet, but she would once she went on one of her own fucked up missions.

She just shook her head, clearly still flustered. "I, uh… I didn't bring anything to sleep in," she admitted, glancing around. "I don't see a couch or anything… where should I sleep?"

I gave her a puzzled look. "Where do you think?" I motioned to the bed, which was more than big enough to fit us both. With a king-sized mattress, there was plenty of space. I crawled under the covers, my exhaustion making me yawn again. "If you don't have night clothes, just sleep in your underwear. No big deal."

Seras started stammering, probably more embarrassed than ever, but I was already too tired to respond. I let my head hit the pillow and closed my eyes, feeling sleep creep over me almost immediately.

Moments later, I heard her let out a sigh of resignation and felt the mattress dip slightly as she climbed onto the other side of the bed. She muttered under her breath, "I guess this is my life now…"

I smirked, keeping my eyes closed as I drifted off.

…

I opened my eyes to a rather unexpected view. Right in front of me was… well, a generous view of Seras's bare chest, her soft pink nipples in plain sight. Blinking, I took a moment to appreciate the unexpected sight before letting out a quiet yawn, sitting up and letting the sheets slip off me. My movements must have jostled Seras because her own eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," I greeted casually as she slowly sat up, her still-uncovered, impressively perky chest bouncing slightly with the movement.

"Good…morning," she murmured automatically, rubbing her eyes. It took her a second or two to realize where she was, and then her face turned a bright shade of red. With a startled little yelp, she quickly threw her arms over her chest and ducked back under the covers, hiding herself away.

I chuckled as I swung my legs out of bed and stretched. "Not that I didn't appreciate the view, but I thought you were going to sleep in your underwear?" I asked, arching an eyebrow as I continued stretching.

A bit of her face peeked out from under the sheets, still red. "I don't know if you noticed," she said a little defensively, "but I… um… have kind of a large chest. It hurts to sleep with a bra on."

"Oh, trust me, I noticed." I smirked, stretching out my legs and rolling my shoulders. She blushed even deeper, clearly not used to the attention, especially so early in the morning.

Seras fumbled over her next question. "Are you, um… are you attracted to girls, Valerie?"

I tapped my finger on my chin, giving her question some fake dramatic thought. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am," I replied, smiling a little. "I mean, I think I like girls more than boys, at least. The only guy who caught my eye was this guy I met yesterday named Sairaorg, but honestly? I was way more interested in the girl he was with. She was a total bombshell. But not quite as good-looking as you, Seras," I added with a playful wink.

Seras groaned from beneath the covers. "It's too early to deal with this. I need coffee before I start flirting with my master's daughter."

I couldn't help but giggle as I headed toward my private bathroom. "I hate to break it to you, but coffee isn't very effective on vampires. Our bodies pretty much burn right through the caffeine."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Seras grumbled, sounding genuinely distressed. "What am I supposed to drink then?"

"Blood," I replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If you don't want to drink human blood, at least consider animal blood. I drank it for most of my life."

"Fine, I'll… think about it," she muttered, watching me as I made my way toward the bathroom. She sniffed herself, her nose wrinkling. "Ugh, I really stink. I shouldn't have slept in your bed like this. Sorry…"

I waved it off, unconcerned. "Don't worry about it. I smell just as bad. Devil blood is shockingly delicious, but it looks—and smells—like death warmed over. It kind of reminds me of blue cheese, now that I think about it."

She snorted, caught off guard by the comparison. "Blue cheese?"

"Yeah, it's an acquired taste." I gave her a grin as I opened the bathroom door. "I'm gonna take a shower. You're welcome to join me if you want," I teased, shooting her a playful look.

Seras blushed even deeper and quickly shook her head. "I'll… just wait until you're done, if that's all the same."

I shrugged, laughing to myself as I slipped into the bathroom and closed the door.

…

As I stepped out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, drying my damp hair with a towel, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" I called, assuming it was just one of the house staff.

The door opened, and Narcissa Black strode confidently into the room, her elegant gaze sweeping over me with an assessing eye. Behind her was Rose Potter, looking slightly nervous but determined.

From under the covers, Seras let out a startled squeak. "Valerie! Could you maybe not just invite people in when we're half-naked here?"

Rose and Narcissa froze, their eyes widening at the scene. Narcissa composed herself first, clearing her throat politely. "I came to help you prepare for the day, mistress… Would you prefer I return later so you can spend more time with your paramour?"

"Paramour!?" Rose's face turned scarlet, and she pointed accusingly between me and Seras. "Did you two… did you have sex? And… who are you!?" She directed the last part at Seras, looking utterly scandalized.

Seras's face was now a deep shade of red as she shook her head furiously. "We didn't have sex! We were just tired, and I don't have my own room yet. My name's Seras Victoria, and I… I work for Hellsing now!"

I burst into laughter, finding Rose's jealousy and Seras's mortified expression too adorable to resist. Turning to Narcissa, I said, "You don't need to help me get ready. I can handle it myself."

"Unfortunately," Narcissa replied in that sharp, unwavering tone of hers, "I must insist. It's my duty to assist, and I take it seriously. Besides…" She eyed my towel with mild disdain. "Why are you drying your hair the Muggle way?"

I shrugged, even as a bit of nostalgia tugged at me. It was one of those little habits from my last life, a strange comfort I hadn't been able to shake, not that I planned to tell her that. Narcissa sighed, clearly exasperated, and with a wave of her wand, she conjured two chairs out of nowhere, gesturing for me to sit.

"Fine, fine," I sighed, plopping down as she stepped behind me, casting a few spells that warmed and smoothed my hair effortlessly.

"That feels nice," I admitted, my eyes half-closing.

"Of course, it does," Narcissa replied, a smug smile on her face. "I was top of my class in charms, you know."

As she worked her magic, I turned to Rose, who was standing awkwardly now that Seras had made a quick exit to the bathroom. "So, I get why Narcissa showed up," I said, raising an eyebrow. "But did you need something, Rose?"

Rose blushed, looking down as she mumbled, "I… wanted to make sure you were okay after last night's mission. And… to make sure Narcissa wasn't up to anything suspicious."

Narcissa scoffed. "If I harm Valerie in any way, I'll lose my magic and my life. If anyone here has ulterior motives, it's you, Miss Potter. Who would have thought the Girl Who Lived was a Witch's Witch? How scandalous…"

Rose's blush deepened, but she didn't deny it. Instead, she crossed her arms, trying to look indignant and failing.

Narcissa conjured a comb, brushing it delicately through my hair while her fingers worked some genuine magic of their own, massaging my scalp gently. Having a servant was turning out to be kind of awesome, I had to admit.

"Everything was fine last night," I said after a moment. "I met three devils, but only killed one. The other two—I think I made friends with them?" I said questioningly.

Rose and Narcissa both gave me expectant looks. I sighed and relented, giving them a full rundown of the night's events. I described arriving in the deserted district with the three Hellsing vans, the devils I encountered, and how things had escalated.

Halfway through my story, I let out a sudden moan as Narcissa finished with my hair and started rubbing my shoulders and neck, her thumbs working into the tight muscles.

I turned my head to glance back at her. She smiled down at me. "You seemed tense, mistress. I'm simply helping you relax."

I could feel Rose's gaze practically boring into us, and I knew she was huffing in jealousy, but I didn't care. Narcissa was turning out to be a woman full of talents.

Narcissa kneaded at a crick in my neck with her soft fingers, and I let out another moan.

She spoke as she continued massaging me. "My… former husband had businesses in both the Muggle and magical worlds," Narcissa said. "Twenty thousand pounds may sound like a tidy sum, but considering Devils are supposedly unaging, they should have access to much more wealth. Especially when this supposed 'Evil Piece' was allegedly irreplaceable."

Rose crossed her arms, frowning. "Sounds like those two Devils scammed you. Why aren't you more upset, Valerie?"

I shrugged, unconcerned. "I don't know. I just wasn't that bothered. Honestly, I felt like Kuisha and Sairaorg were being more playful than malicious. It seemed like they were testing me—trying to see how I'd react by flirting and paying me less than what the Evil Piece was worth."

Narcissa tutted, shaking her head as I turned back to face her. "You can't let people take advantage of you just because they're pretty, mistress." She gave me a pointed look. "Clearly, you need some lessons in seduction, and perhaps even how to resist it."

I giggled, amused at the idea. "Maybe? But who'd give me those kinds of lessons?"

Narcissa's eyes narrowed with a smirk, and she leaned down slightly, her fingers still massaging my shoulders. "I could teach you, of course. I have experience in such matters."

"Rose's eyes went wide, and her cheeks turned bright red! She doesn't need your help, Malfoy!" Rose blurted out. "I c–can help her,!"

"I'm not a Malfoy anymore dearie, I'm just Narcissa Black again." Narcissa corrected with a small laugh. "And how are you going to teach Valerie anything when you're just as inexperienced? You can barely look at Valerie when she's wearing a bathrobe without your cheeks turning completely red."

Narcissa did have a point there…

"I'll think about it," I told Narcissa as she finished up her massage. I was feeling a lot more relaxed as I stood up from the chair she conjured.

"I'd offer to help you change, but Miss Potter already looks like she's about to blow a gasket from my continued presence. I will see you later, Mistress. Feel free to call on me for anything… Anything at all." Narcissa said with a wink before leaving out my bedroom door.

Rose watched the older woman leave before turning to me. She looked like she had something very important to say to me.

"Is something wrong, Rose?" I asked, my voice softening when I noticed the conflicted expression on her face.

Rose took a deep breath, her hands balling into fists at her sides before she finally spoke. "I was going to wait a couple of days before saying this, Valerie." She looked at me earnestly, her eyes intense. "But I can't wait any longer! I really like you, Valerie. Please… be my girlfriend!" she asked me.

I blinked, feeling my heart skip a beat at the sudden confession. My eyes widened slightly, and I could feel my face warming in response. It was so… straightforward. I honestly hadn't expected Rose to say something like that, at least not so soon. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steady myself before giving her an answer.

"...I like you too, Rose. I think you're very pretty," I said, and I could see her face light up a little at that, her eyes hopeful. But I wasn't finished. "…But I'm not really looking for a committed relationship so soon. You know my story, and you know how… confining most of my life has been up until now."

Rose's hopeful expression faltered, and some tears formed in her eyes…

I sighed softly, giving her an apologetic look. "Right now, I need some freedom. I wouldn't mind going on some dates, spending more time together and seeing where things go… but I'm not ready to be anyone's girlfriend exclusively."

Rose bit her lip and wiped away her own tears. "...I can work with that," she finally said, her lips curving into a small smile. She stepped forward, looking me in the eyes. "If that's what you want, then… we'll take it slow. But just know, I'm not giving up!" Her green eyes were filled with determination.

I couldn't help but smile.

After Rose slipped out the door, I couldn't resist giving her a quick hug. Her blush only deepened, and in hindsight, hugging her while still in just a bathrobe probably didn't help her infatuation. But it was cute, and I couldn't help but smile as she left, still flushed.

The bathroom door creaked open a moment later, and I saw Seras poking her head out, her face tinted pink. She must have overheard everything with her enhanced vampire senses.

"I've… never heard anyone get confessed to in real life," she admitted, still a bit flustered. "Sorry for eavesdropping."

I waved her apology off, shaking my head as I gently patted my newly straightened hair that Narcissa had just fussed over. "It's not your fault. I honestly wasn't expecting that," I admitted. "I've only known Rose for, like, a day…" I trailed off, feeling a bit overwhelmed as I thought it over.

Seras gaped at me. "Wow… teenage girls sure work fast these days."

I smirked at her. "Pfft, you're only a couple of years older than us, tops." I crossed my arms playfully. "So, why are you still hiding in the bathroom?"

Her cheeks flushed pink again. "Well, I kind of rushed in here without bringing any spare clothes… and I don't actually have any on me out there either."

"Oh, right." I chuckled. "You can borrow something from my closet for now. We're pretty much the same size… except, you know, in the chest area." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, glancing at her chest. I was more than happy with my perky C cups, but Seras had some serious assets. She blushed even more at that, clearly not used to the attention.

After rummaging through my closet, I handed her a pair of blue jeans and the largest t-shirt I had, which was still a little snug, but it would do. Once she was dressed, we headed downstairs together to grab something to eat, or rather, something close to lunch, judging by how long we'd slept.

Considering the past couple of days—two missions back-to-back—I figured I'd probably get a few days to rest. And, honestly, after everything, some downtime sounded pretty nice.

XXX

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