chapter 41

Chapter 41:

– Valerie –

I trudged through my bedroom feeling utterly drained, immediately peeling off my shredded clothes and tossing them into a messy pile on the floor. They were beyond saving. I'd either incinerate them later myself or just have Narcissa, my maid, handle it. She was used to dealing with my messes by now.

Stepping into the shower, I let out a deep sigh of relief as the hot water cascaded over my skin, washing away dried blood and grime from the insane day I'd had at the Vatican. My body still tingled pleasantly from Gabriel's kiss—Gabriel, a literal Archangel who somehow brought me to orgasm with just a kiss. 

…I couldn't deny how incredible it felt. 

Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back into the stream of water, letting it flow over my face, down my chest, between my breasts, and finally soothing the throbbing ache between my thighs.

I placed both hands flat against the tiled shower wall, trying to steady myself as waves of desire and hunger still pulsed through me. Drinking angel blood had done something intense to me—my vampire instincts felt fully awake, eager to hunt, fight, or fuck. Possibly all three at once. 

Alucard had mentioned my increased powers now, too, mentioning that I was now ready to learn new abilities. 

After a good twenty minutes, when I felt I had finally calmed down enough, I shut off the water and stepped out into my room, completely naked and dripping wet. For some reason, there wasn't a single towel in sight, and I'd forgotten to bring fresh clothes into the bathroom.

"Er, hello there…" a voice suddenly called from my bed.

I jumped slightly, quickly turning toward the sound. Sitting casually at the edge of my mattress, dressed in tight black leather and looking as effortlessly gorgeous as ever, was Selene—Alucard's latest conquest, and someone I hadn't really spoken much with since she'd moved in.

I stood there naked, blinking dumbly at her. Selene's eyes quickly flickered downward, then politely away from my body, clearly trying to be respectful.

"Uh, hi," I said awkwardly, covering myself slightly with one arm, though modesty wasn't really a big deal to me anymore. At least not in front of other beautiful women. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you earlier, before I found out Alucard had kidnapped you for most of the day," she explained, still deliberately keeping her eyes off me. "Your father said you had quite the eventful day. I figured you might want someone to talk to."

I scoffed softly, moving towards my walk-in closet. "Did he tell you all the details?" I asked, partly dreading what Alucard had already shared.

"Only that you invaded the Vatican, fought a powerful exorcist, and killed a literal angel," Selene replied. Her voice carried just a hint of amusement at that last one…

I shook my head, smirking as I slipped into a fresh pair of panties, pulling them snugly up my pale thighs. "Yeah, that about sums it up," I said. I quickly stepped into my favorite pair of tight red jeans, zipping them up before grabbing a fitted black shirt and sliding it over my head. "Though, trust me, the reality was a lot messier than Alucard probably described."

She finally looked at me fully again when I exited the closet, my signature red jacket swung casually over my shoulder. Selene raised an eyebrow, clearly curious now. "Care to elaborate?"

I shrugged and gave her a playful look. "I'm not sure you'd believe me even if I told you everything…"

Selene's lips curled up just slightly at the corners, a subtle smile breaking through her usually stoic expression. "I think you'll find I'm quite open-minded, Valerie. I've been wanting to spend some time with you to get to know you better." 

I felt strangely defensive at Selene's words, crossing my arms loosely and taking a step towards her. "You want to get to know me? Why?"

Selene's expression softened. "Because I've never had a daughter before," she admitted quietly. Her eyes met mine with surprising sincerity. "I've talked with Alucard about you a few times, and it's pretty clear you've never really had a mother figure in your life. The closest would be Narcissa or Integra. And one of them literally took your virginity…" she pointed out and I blushed. "...And the other is your boss who's a mess of pure stress and sexual frustration rolled into one."

"So…what?" I asked nervously. "You're just suddenly interested in bonding because Alucard's your latest boyfriend? Or whatever you two call your relationship."

Selene smiled faintly, shaking her head. "My relationship with your father is complicated," she admitted, brushing her sleek black hair behind her ear. "But that's not why I'm here. Honestly, Valerie, I'm here because I understand what it's like to feel alone, even surrounded by others. I lost my own family a long time ago. Alucard told me you've never known your human mother, and…I suppose that struck a nerve with me."

I softened slightly, her genuine tone catching me off guard. 

"I'll admit," I said quietly, avoiding her gaze, "I've wondered about her sometimes. My birth mother, I mean. I'm pretty sure she was killed right after I was born. Probably as some kind of sick punishment for getting pregnant with me in the first place…" I spat out bitterly. 

Selene nodded sympathetically, her eyes gentle now. "I'm sorry, Valerie. Truly."

"Thanks," I mumbled awkwardly, tugging absently at the hem of my shirt. "But what do you want from me, exactly?"

"Nothing complicated," she assured me, gesturing calmly. "I was thinking we could spend a bit of time together. Just talking, training, or even simply relaxing if you prefer. We might find we have more in common than you expect."

My curiosity piqued. Selene was beautiful, obviously fearless, and seemed pretty straightforward. Honestly, spending some time alone with her didn't sound bad at all.

I took a cautious step closer, eyeing her curiously. "You're not just doing this out of pity, right?"

Selene chuckled softly, meeting my gaze evenly. "Trust me, Valerie, pity is the last thing I feel toward you. You're strong, smart, and from what I hear, quite resourceful. If anything, I respect you. I just thought we might both benefit from getting to know each other better. After all, we're practically family now."

The playful spark in her eyes sent a pleasant warmth through me. I relaxed a bit, finally dropping my arms. "Fine. I guess it couldn't hurt."

Once again today, I found myself giving someone my life's story. We talked for about an hour, learning about each other more. It turned out she was around 600 years old, and damn did she look good for her age.

"Why don't we go somewhere?" she suggested with a smile.

Even though I'd just gotten back home, I found myself leaving the mansion once again, this time with Selene. And I hadn't been kidnapped naked out of my bed, so that was a bonus. 

Apparently, she'd planned ahead, because parked outside was her sleek black motorcycle waiting for us, polished and shining in the fading daylight. The sun would be setting pretty soon.

"Hop on," she said, swinging one leg gracefully over the bike and settling comfortably into the seat. "I thought we might go for a ride somewhere, if that's alright with you."

I climbed onto the bike behind her, instantly noticing how close we were forced to sit together. My body pressed firmly against Selene's back, my thighs gripping the sides of her hips snugly as my arms wrapped tightly around her slim waist.

"Ready?" she asked, glancing briefly over her shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go," I replied, trying to ignore the sudden fluttering sensation I felt being pressed so close to her. Damn, Selene was sexy. Alucard really knew how to pick them.

Without another word, she started the motorcycle. It roared to life beneath us, vibrating in a way that made my breath hitch for a split second. Then we were off, speeding down the long driveway of Hellsing Manor and onto the open road.

The wind rushed around us, whipping through my hair. It quickly became clear Selene loved to ride her bike fast!

Honestly, I was a bit jealous. Even though I'd recently grown huge, badass wings, there was just something undeniably cool about speeding along the road like this—something raw and exciting that I wasn't sure flying could quite match. 

I wasn't convinced I was a motorcycle kind of girl, though. Right now, I was mostly fantasizing about all the sleek, sexy sports cars I could buy with my saved-up money. And all the hot dates I could have with my own car.

We rode farther than I'd anticipated, leaving the glow of London behind us until it was faint on the horizon. 

About an hour past the city, Selene slowed the motorcycle and pulled off to the side of a deserted road near the edge of some woods. 

She killed the engine.

I got off the bike slowly, stretching my legs and brushing out my windswept hair with my fingers. I looked around curiously. We were surrounded by dense woods that seemed almost untouched. Out here, with no streetlights or city glow, the only illumination came from the large, full moon hanging directly overhead. 

Not that either of us had any problem seeing in the dark either way.

"So, uh, what are we doing out here?" I asked, glancing over at Selene as she stepped gracefully from the bike. 

"Alucard mentioned something interesting to me," Selene said, her voice calm but carrying a hint of excitement. She adjusted the sleeves of her leather jacket, her eyes scanning the treeline like a predator. "He said you have a grudge against a particular werewolf..."

"Yeah. A bastard named Remus Lupin," I replied bitterly. "He left me to get captured by Voldemort after trying to abduct my friend Rose."

Selene nodded slowly. "Well, we haven't found HIM yet. But we did find something else interesting, another pack of wolves—ones that were loyal to that dark wizard, Voldemort. He left them behind when he fled England. Now they're hiding here, waiting quietly and hoping everyone forgets their crimes. Which includes wiping out and feeding on an entire neighborhood last month during the full moon."

"You brought me out here to hunt werewolves during a full moon?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face. Killing some monsters might be exactly what I needed! 

The exhaustion I'd been feeling earlier was quickly fading as the thrill of a hunt replaced it!

Selene gave a small smile of her own, eyes gleaming with excitement as she checked her twin pistols. Checking they were loaded and sliding them in her holsters again. "I thought you'd like the idea! It's also a good bonding opportunity, I figured."

Oh, I definitely liked it!

"Do you have plenty of silver bullets?" I asked, teasing her slightly.

She raised an eyebrow and fixed me with a look that practically shouted, Who do you think I am?

– Alucard –

Alucard had the distinct feeling he was missing out on something violent and exciting. He paused briefly, he felt a brief pang of envy. Hunting with his daughter would've been delightful, but Selene had claimed the honor tonight.

Meh. He supposed even he couldn't have fun all the time.

At least not violent gory fun. 

There were still other ways to entertain himself though. Bellatrix was busy spending time with her sister Narcissa, and Selene was obviously occupied with Valerie. That left him alone and bored—which meant it was the perfect time to visit his dear master.

A slow grin spread across his face as he dissolved into shadow, slipping effortlessly through walls and floors until he reached Integra's spacious office. Materializing silently behind her chair, he saw Integra hunched over her large desk, eyes narrowed behind her glasses as she studied a stack of paperwork. 

She was so absorbed she hadn't even noticed his arrival.

He leaned close, his lips mere inches from her ear, his voice silky with mischief. "What has you so hot and bothered tonight, my Master?"

Integra jumped visibly, goosebumps blossoming across her exposed neck—a reaction Alucard always enjoyed. She reacted quickly, as usual, swinging her sword at his head as a reflex. He ducked easily beneath it, chuckling softly as he stepped back out of reach.

She glared at him fiercely, huffing in irritation. "Damn it, Alucard! Can't you enter my office like a normal person for once?"

He smirked broadly. "Now where's the fun in that?"

She rolled her eyes but lowered her sword, setting it back down beside her desk. With a frustrated sigh, she tapped a finger against the stack of papers. "I was reviewing the supernatural incident reports for the past week. Something's off."

"Off?" he asked, curiosity genuinely piqued.

"It's…too quiet," she replied cautiously. "Unusually quiet, especially considering the chaos of the past month. Normally, we'd have twice the reports of vampire sightings at the very least. But recently it's slowed down dramatically."

He shrugged, unconcerned. "Seras is currently hunting down that rookie vampire pair—the ones causing trouble by breaking into houses and slaughtering families. Perhaps the rest of the monsters in this country are finally learning to not be so obvious with their kills."

Integra shook her head, not convinced. "That's just it, Alucard. The calm feels unnatural. With the evil wizard gone for now and his surviving followers scattered, I'd expected more problems, not less. This quiet…it feels wrong. Like the calm before a storm."

He met her sharp gaze evenly, noticing the subtle tension in her posture. Integra was rarely wrong about these things. Her instincts were impeccable!

As expected of his master and a descendent of the original Hellsing.

"Do you suspect something specific?" he asked, now more interested.

She hesitated slightly before responding. "Not exactly. Just a feeling. Ever since Valerie moved here I've just grown used to the constant chaos I suppose..." she huffed in annoyance.

"Speaking of my dear daughter," he said casually, "she's off bonding with Selene tonight. Hunting Voldemort's abandoned werewolves under a full moon."

Integra's expression tightened. "And you didn't think to inform me beforehand?"

"Apologies, Master," he purred, enjoying the annoyed twitch of her eyebrow. "Selene's more than capable of keeping her out of trouble… for the most part."

He didn't miss the way her cute lips pursed when he mentioned his newest woman. Ah, he truly loved Integra's obvious jealousy and her extreme "tsundere" personality when she pretended not to care about the other women in his life. 

Integra sighed, leaning back in her chair, rubbing her temples. "You are going to drive me to an early grave…"

He laughed openly, unable to resist teasing her further. "Oh, don't say that. Because I'd immediately bring you back. You'd make such a beautiful vampire, Integra."

She shot him a murderous glare, her blue eyes blazing. "Don't even joke about that!"

He raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning broadly. "Of course, Master. Far be it from me to suggest something so scandalous for the last living descendant of Van Hellsing…"

"Hmph!" Integra hated being compared to her legendary ancestor. "Just keep those bat ears of yours to the ground looking for trouble. I have all the guards doubled up as well because I feel like something is coming soon…"

Alucard chuckled. "I'll be on the lookout. In the meantime, it's so stuffy in here, my master. Why don't we go for a walk together…?" This wasn't the first or even tenth time he'd ever asked her this question.

Usually this would be the part where she told him to fuck off…

"Bugger off, Alucard!" she snarked at him.

Hehe… And he was right. His master was such a "tsundere" sometimes…

Still though, he had some of his familiars patrolling the nearby area for the next couple days. It had been a long time since Alucard had been so genuinely–happy–with his cursed immortal existence and he wasn't going to let anything disrupt it.

XXX