Author's Notes: Hello all! I hope you enjoy this new story dedicated to Alucard and Seras. I am not a big fan of the anime, so all characters and relationships will resemble that of the manga and OVAs. In the future, you can look forward to lots of AxS quality time, a certain perverted captain, and many fun battles. Work keeps me busy much of the time, but I'll try to update as quickly as I can. If you review, I'll do my best to review one of yours in a timely fashion. Thanks in advance!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing. This wonderful series belongs to its creator, Kouta Hirano.

Rating/Warning: Rated M for violence, mature sexual content, and future lemons. Please do not read or comment if this subject is not to your liking.

Full Summary: Seras Victoria chose to be claimed by darkness, and there's no turning back. When Alucard confronts her about her reluctance to drink blood, the ancient vampire seizes the opportunity to ignite an unexpected shift in their relationship. At a crossroads, Seras must determine what is real in her life and fight to protect her discoveries. The journey from police girl to draculina is a long one, and she has but two remaining choices: get stronger or die. Will she triumph and rise to the title of No-Life Queen? AxS.

Claimed by Darkness

Chapter 1

Wasting Away

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Seras Victoria plopped her face down against her pillow to muffle the sounds of her frustration.

She never thought such a tiny, harmless object would become the bane of her existence. It saved thousands of lives every day, and yet it was slowly but surely killing her. Literally. Ok, so it was a lack of said-substance that was endangering her health, but how many patients actually drank their blood to get better? The liquid might as well have been poison, as far as she was concerned.

"Bloody hell..." she muttered, cringing at the reality of her words.

Turning her head to the side, she scowled. There it was, chilling comfortably in its own iced bucket on the table. Just who did it think it was? Some expensive bottle of fancy wine? Regardless, it stared her down, mocking her. Just like her master. If she glared at it hard enough, would it grow a tiny pair of legs and crawl away?

"God, Seras, you're being pathetic," she berated herself. "It's about time you checked yourself into the loony bin."

The young vampire sighed and swung her legs over the mattress. She rose from her four-poster coffin, striding over to the table. Clenching her fist once, she reached forward and ran a few tentative fingers over the cold plastic covering.

Drink the blood, or your body will grow weak, and you will die...

We have no use for a half-starved vampire in our ranks...

Enough! You coward...you are a police girl. Until you renounce the foolish wall you've built around your true nature, Police Girl will suffice...

Abruptly, Seras slammed her hand down upon the wooden surface and swiped the bucket and its contents off of the table in a defiant, what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it? gesture. The bucket clattered loudly against the ground, pieces of ice sliding outward and away from the initial crash.

Did this satisfy her? Yes. Did it improve her mood? No.

The blood pack laid unfazed half-way out of the fallen bucket, which was probably for the best. There was no reason for her to lose the few attenuating threads left of her sanity. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she just could not budge the restraints that prevented her from moving forward. One quick glance across the room was enough to awaken a startling sense of claustrophobia tight within her chest. The young vampire massaged her forehead momentarily and absentmindedly wiped her hand across her eyes, as if she could erase the lethargy that had recently took residence in her gaze.

There were no missions for the night, so she was free to do as she pleased. Within reason, of course. Perhaps a little fresh air would do her some good. As she adjusted to her new life within the Hellsing family, she had cultivated a penchant for wandering around the outskirts of the estate in her free time.

Seras happily abandoned the mess she had created on the floor and marched out of her room with nothing but a small handgun in her possession. As her legs carried her further away, she tried her best to ignore the painfully obvious fact that her feet were sluggishly dragging the ground.

The breeze felt wonderful against her face. Although breathing was no longer a necessity to her, the young vampire inhaled deeply and enjoyed the various scents of trees and flowers that greeted her. Her senses were undoubtedly weakening the longer she went without drinking blood, but Seras was relieved to discover that, as each night passed, she had yet to lose her newfound affinity with the night.

Feeling a mild surge of energy flood back into her limbs, she felt her lips curl upward into a tiny, secretive smile as she set off into a jog in the woods.

Stretching infinitely in all directions, the sky above resembled a massive pool of liquid obsidian. Swirls of clouds dominated the scene and masked the twinkling of stars, making the night a darker one than usual. The only contrast was the moon, which shone big and bright against the surrounding darkness.

The Hellsing estate was an entirely separate entity from civilization, at least from the back. Acres of woods and grassy, mountainous fields rested between the building and the next residential area.

Seras quickened her pace and made her way deeper into the wilderness. The ambience changed into something sinister and dangerous the further she advanced, and the small hairs at the back of her neck stood up in warning. At the same time, however, a hungry curiosity lingered in her mind, which ate away at her insides and compelled her to continue.

No matter how hard she pushed herself, she could no longer force her legs to exceed human speed. Though she would never under any circumstances admit this to her master, she could not help but feel a tug of disappointment in exhausting all of her enhanced capabilities. The necessity of blood was a plaguing nightmare, but oh how fun it was to embarrass Captain Bernadotte in front of his men. There was nothing more satisfying than being underestimated because of her tiny stature and then surprising the hell out of her doubters.

Seras came to a halt as she reached her favorite destination. She stood at the edge of the forest's terrain and surveyed the small lake that had become her private refuge.

She knelt at the surface's edge and gazed into the black waters that shone with a lustrous coating from the light of the moon. Staring at her own reflection, she became lost within it as if it revealed secrets she never knew were there. Once she was forced to become true undead, if she even made it that far, would she have to sacrifice her reflection in the process? She made a small mental note to herself to purchase a cheap camera the next time she went into town.

In the impenetrable darkness, her eyes were like tiny cerulean flames slowly burning out. Her skin, naturally pale, looked washed out and drained of any inner glow. Though her blonde hair still retained a bit of shine, the texture was beginning to dry out.

A tiny frown adorned her lips. "Do I really look this awful? No wonder master doesn't want anything to do with me anymore..."

She sunk her hand into the water and gradually waved it to and fro. The images reflected upon the surface quivered before scattering into fragments. As her hand soaked in the lake's warmth, a sudden whimsy flickered across her mind. As she began to dismiss it, the thought grew and grew until she couldn't take it anymore.

Could she? More importantly, would she?

"Aww, the hell with it..." She glanced around uncertainly, as if expecting an audience. Whoever told her that she couldn't live on the edge at least a little?

When she was satisfied that she wasn't being spied on, she giggled excitedly to herself and stripped off her clothing. Setting them in a neat pile under the nearest tree, she turned back to the lake and plunged forward into the water.

Seras floated there contently while staring up at the sky. The soft trickling the water made as she moved her arms brought her comfort and eased her mind. A gentle breeze weaved in and out of branches, rustling the leaves in silent music. An hour passed in this peaceful manner. Exhilarating and liberating, she felt like a true child of the night in that moment, participating in the beauties of nature alone and completely nude to the world.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The frightening, all-too-familiar voice shattered her paradise and sent her careening into the lowest pits of hell.

"Your senses are suffering horribly, Police Girl."

The young vampire shrieked before dunking her head underwater. If only she could muster up the ability to summon portals or to simply resurface in a different place entirely. Anywhere but here.

Seras cautiously reemerged and made sure the surface of the water went no lower than chin level. Alucard was hunched over her clothing, eyeing the pile with a maniacal curiosity. As he successfully located what he had been searching for, he reached down and, to her dismay, lifted up her bra between two fingers, allowing it to dangle in the air. The ancient vampire turned his head to where she was frozen in place and raised a brow in question. His monstrous grin was the killing blow.

"My oh my, Police Girl, you're full of surprises tonight."

No, no, no, no...this is not happening...

Gaping at him for a moment in stunned silence, Seras finally pieced together her scariest glare. "Ge—get away from my stuff, you jerk!" Luckily for her, she currently did not have enough blood left in her system to form a proper blush.

"Oh? But I'm having fun now. Tonight has been so uneventful, but not anymore," he answered absentmindedly, eyeing the pile of clothing once more. "Time to get out, Police Girl. We have some business to discuss." And he turned expectant eyes back to her concealed body.

"Wha—what?" Seras had reached the end of her breaking point. Tears of humiliation began to well up in her eyes. "You haven't spoken to me in three weeks. Why are you here now?" she whimpered.

A brief silence settled between the two vampires. Alucard observed her silently for a moment before dropping her bra on the pile of clothes.

"Perhaps another time then. Go on—I will not watch, so you do not have to worry. You have my word."

"Ummm…y—yes, sir..." Seras watched as Alucard disappeared from view before she emerged from the water and reached for her clothing. While she glared suspiciously at the tree he had chosen to hide behind, she hurriedly dressed herself even though her body was soaking wet.

"You can turn around now. What's going on that's so important?" she huffed, pulling agitatedly at the shirt that was sticking to her skin. She hardly looked presentable, but there was nothing she could do.

"Come over here, so I can get a good look at you."

Unenthusiastically, Seras strutted over to where her master was standing. The ancient vampire grasped his fledging's chin and tilted her head from side to side. She pitted the full extent of her fatigued gaze against his scrutinizing stare.

Alucard frowned, obviously not pleased with what he saw. "How do you feel?"

Seras furrowed her brows. "How do you think I feel?"

As he carried on with his examination, Seras couldn't help but find herself mesmerized by his face. She rarely had the opportunity to see him without his hat and glasses. With his head bared and so close to her own, she could fully appreciate how handsome he truly was. His regally sculpted face was merely a foundation for his greatest features. His silky black hair stood on its own accord in unruly, shaggy waves. Seras always wondered if his hair felt as smooth as it looked, and she yearned to be able to run her bare hands through his raven locks. And those eyes...they were eyes only a monster could possess, but the fiery orange-red orbs were utterly beautiful to her within that fierce gaze.

He was clearly out of her league, but the damage was done. Why couldn't she ever stay angry at her master? He was able to melt her insides into a mass of incoherent rubbish with a mere look, and she wanted to punch him in the face for doing this to her.

Seras blinked once, dazed. Her master was speaking to her, but she had unknowingly tuned everything out. Something or other about blood. What else was new?

"I'm sorry...what?" she asked, sheepishly.

"See something you like?" Seras immediately scowled. Alucard was once again grinning like a mad man. Great, so now he was teasing her.

"Master…I'm not in the mood…" She turned from him to head back to the Hellsing manor, but two vice-like grips upon her shoulders took her by surprise.

"You're being foolish, Police Girl. You made your decision, and there is no turning back. It's time you started drinking the blood."

"Why do you care?" she challenged.

Alucard didn't answer, just as she thought. Wasn't she justified? It's not like he spent any time with her since he sired her a month ago.

The ancient vampire released her, which nearly made her lose her balance. He extracted a blood pack from his coat pocket and wasted no time in ripping off the top.

Seras' eyes widened in response, and her hands flew up to cover her nose so that she did not have to smell the temptation. As he advanced upon her, she took equal steps backwards.

"Ma—master, wha—" she stuttered, feeling her slowly beating heart spike in apprehension as her back collided with a tree.

"I'm not forcing you to drink fresh blood, Seras. This will do for now, but I can't leave this decision up to you any longer. In another few days, you won't even have the energy to rise from your coffin. Soon you'll be dead, and I will not allow that to happen."

"Master..."

Did he just use her real name? Though both vampires were upset by her stubbornness, the way he purred her name made her question her anger and let loose an unfamiliar longing within her. Seras shook her head wildly. Standing there dejectedly, she attempted to focus on anything other than him or the blood in his hand.

"If I have to feed you myself, then so be it, but it will not be from a spoon."

The young vampire returned confused eyes to her master and stared at him in utter horror as he plunged his finger into the pack before pulling it back out. Alucard stood not an inch away from her body. He raised his bloodied finger and caressed her lower lip in sensual, ghostly motions, leaving behind a tiny trail of blood.

"Suck my finger," he commanded. His eyes were glimmering malevolently in the darkness, and the intensity she saw within them was overwhelming.

Seras clenched her lips as tight as she could manage without biting herself and tried her damn hardest not to faint on the spot.