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