Author's note: I do not own Hellsing or its characters. This contains a little citrus. Please don't read if that offends you.

Walking In Shadow

Integra stalked to her rooms, temper reined in tight and mental shields in full force. She refused to leak any of what she was feeling right now. She needed to think, and this needed to be her choice. Alucard would no doubt offer her a number of options if he learned of her current situation, but this had to be of her own doing. She had lost, but perhaps she was not defeated yet.

She slammed her bedroom door shut before sinking onto her bed. Integra buried her head in her hands. She was to be married at the end of the week. Everyone had signed off on the plan from the Council of Twelve to the Queen and Walter, who had clearly gone senile to agree to this. Everyone except for herself and Alucard. Integra had avoided and postponed the issues of her marriage and an heir for as long as she could with every recourse she had. And until now, she had been safe. No longer. At the end of the week, she would be married. She would be "allowed" to run Hellsing until she was pregnant, which would be as soon as possible. Then her husband would take over running Hellsing until her child was of age to no longer need constant care. Integra was no fool. They would want more than one heir to keep a situation like her own from happening again. And they would want a male heir at that. She would never truly control Hellsing again.

The reasons for their concerns were clear. When her father had died, the organization had nearly been lost. She was the only one remaining with the Hellsing bloodline now. Should she be killed in the line of duty, there no longer be a Hellsing left to control the organization or Alucard. While she could understand their worries, Integra had a few plans of her own regarding an heir for Hellsing. None of them were ready to implement right now though, and she was out of time.

Running herself a bath, Integra ran through her options again and again. She sighed. She knew what her choice was. It was simply a matter of accepting it. Oh, she had considered it, dreamed about it, debated it, and shoved it to the back of her mind. Integra sank into the hot water and fought the urge to cry. She hated this. She hated feeling helpless and out of control. The hot water was somewhat soothing, and she began to seek calm. By the time she got out of the water and began her bedtime rituals, Integra had found serenity. Her mind was made up.

Dressing for bed, Integra chose a little worn nightgown instead of the pajamas she normally favored. It wouldn't hurt to indulge this once. It wouldn't matter after tonight. As the mansion began to settle in its familiar nighttime patterns, Integra slipped from her room. Her vampire would be awake, and they needed to talk.

Alucard rose from his coffin just in time to see his master slip into his chamber. That alone was unusual this early in the night, and her attire was definitely out of the ordinary. The pale cream nightgown was probably the most feminine thing he'd seen her wear since the ball that had been held for her eighteenth birthday. She met his eyes, hands fisted in her nightgown.

"Good evening, Master."

"Alucard." Her voice was soft, almost gentle.

Something was wrong. He knew that something had been bothering his master lately, but she hadn't let so much as a hint of it slip. Things were going to get interesting.

"What brings you to my humble abode, Master?"

"They think my sense of duty will keep me chained. That I will just submit to them." She met his eyes, her own hard and icy. "But this is my choice, and if I am forced to submit, the only one I will ever submit to is you."

Now that was interesting. It was not like his master to give in to anything. She had never been the damsel in distress. Her mind was closed off completely to him. Something had been bothering her all week, but Integra hadn't let any hint of the problem near him. Her mind had been completely closed off to him which was rather unusual, but Alucard knew better than to pry. Typically, Integra would come to him when she was ready. And it seemed like she was ready now.

Integra stood across from him, proud and defiant.

"I'm to be married at the end of the week. They don't even need my permission since the Queen has ordered it. They expected me to be a good little wife and provide heirs and let my husband run Hellsing." Her eyes flashed. "That I'll order you to take his orders."

The Council of Twelve clearly didn't know his master at all if they thought she would do that. Alucard waited. She wasn't done yet.

"No matter what I chose, I lose Hellsing. If I give into them I lose, and if I fight them I'll lose everything I have worked for all these years." She met his eyes once again. "My people are safe enough. They can sever their contracts at any time. That includes Seras. That just leaves you."

Integra moved forward until she was just inches away from him before dropping to her knees before him.

"You may take what ever you wish from me." She tilted her head to the side enough to expose her neck. "I would rather give in to you than to them."

It was an offer he had not expected from her. Not so soon. This time when he reached for her mind, Integra let him see everything. She was still struggling with the fact that she wanted this, but she did want it. Alucard slid his hands into her hair. Integra met his gaze steadily.

"You are sure you want this, Integra?" He wanted to hear her say it.

"Yes. If you want me, I am yours." Her voice was soft but as strong and firm as ever. "God help me, I want this."

Alucard drew her into his lap. His master would submit and let him turn her, but he wasn't fool enough to think that it meant her total submission. No, Integra would continue to set her will against his own, vampire or not. Alucard grinned at the thought of spending eternity in a battle of wills with this woman. He would never lack for entertainment, and there were advantages to both winning and losing arguments. Integra offered him her neck, trembling only slightly. He drew her even closer.

"My Integra," he kissed her jugular before sinking his teeth into her flesh.

Integra clutched at his shoulders but made no sound. Alucard savored the taste of her blood as he drained her life. Hellsing blood had always been delicious, full of power and strength. Integra's had the added benefit of her being a virgin. As her life faded, Alucard smirk grew. Integra would not be another fledgling like Seras. She would never call him master. Alucard didn't care. He had other plans for her. He had taken brides before but never a mate. He had never had an equal before. Integra might never match him in terms of sheer power, but her will was more than a match for his own.

He lapped up the last of her blood before setting the dead woman in his coffin. It would be a few hours before she rose, and he had things of his own to attend to. The changes in Hellsing would have to be dealt with. Alucard had a feeling that Integra would want to participate in any actions taken. However, Integra would also need to feed after she awoke, and she would need more than simply his blood. He smirked a bit at that thought. Integra would not be like Seras and refuse to feed, nor would she simply accept a role as his servant. It would be in his best interest to sever the servant/master bond as soon as possible and establish the bond between mates instead. Integra would expect him to keep her on unequal footing. By immediately acknowledging their relationship was one of equals, he would throw her off balance once again. Integra was always amusing when riled.

They would need some privacy though, and it wouldn't do to have Seras interrupting them. With a satisfied smirk, he made his way towards the police girl's quarters.

She was cold. That was the first thing Integra noticed. She opened her eyes and blinked. Someone had removed her glasses, but she could see perfectly well. She appeared to be in Alucard's coffin. Then the hunger hit her. Integra sat up.

"Awake, my countess?"

"Alucard." She turned to find him seated beside the coffin. Integra felt fangs as she smiled.

He offered her a wine glass with a smirk. "Hungry?"

Integra took the blood and tried not to gulp it down. It tamed the hunger somewhat, but she found herself wanting more. Alucard just laughed.

"I figured you wouldn't want your first meal to be some poor unsuspecting foot soldier. Besides," he smirked, "one of mine deserves better than that. I chose the best of the medical blood you had."

Her spine stiffened at the reminder that she was now technically subservient to him. "I will never call you 'Master'."

Alucard leaned in so his nose was just brush against her own. "I never expected you to. I had something more intimate in mind."

His lips ghosted over her neck, and Integra felt a familiar stirring. She had denied her attraction to Alucard for years. It occurred to her that she no longer needed to. Integra leaned in, catching his lips with her own. She found herself being pulled into Alucard's lap. His hands found their way into her hair as he took control of the kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth, and she found herself pressing closer to him, wanting more. Alucard's tongue traced the outline of her fangs as he pulled back.

"I will release you from the servant bond, my Integra, if you will accept a mating bond instead."

She tried to focus on his words rather than the sensations his hands tracing up and down her back were creating. "What exactly would that entail?"

He chuckled. "It establishes a relationship of equals and marks you as mine, but then it also marks me as yours."

He leaned and nuzzled her neck, running his tongue over the bite mark there. Involuntarily, she let out a moan. Alucard pressed closer, so her chest was nearly flat against his own. One of his hands cupped the back of her neck, and he nibbled at her ear. Integra caught his lips again. As much as she wanted to fight him some more on this just for the principal of it, Integra knew that she wasn't going to deny him or herself.

"And how does one go about establishing a mating bond?"

Smirking triumphantly, Alucard began sliding the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders then investigating her newly bared skin with his mouth. Integra found herself melting through the walls of the manor. They floated up until they reached her rooms. She was solid again when Alucard dumped her on her bed. Indignant, Integra struggled to sit up only to have Alucard pin her back down on the mattress.

"I have waited a long time for this, my Integra." He removed the silk from her skin. "I plan on taking my time."

She lay beneath him clad only in her underwear. Alucard continued to explore her bare skin with his mouth and fingertips. Integra gave up on struggling against him and instead did some exploring of her own. Somewhere along the line Alucard had lost his jacket and shirt, and Integra slid her hands up his sides to his shoulders. When his tongue wrapped around one of her nipples, she couldn't suppress the moan that rose out of her throat. Alucard took that as encouragement.

Alucard's mouth crept lower, and the heat that had been building between her thighs exploded as his fingers slipped inside her. He curled them just a little, and her hips bucked in response. The vampire chuckled sending shivers through her. As Alucard began to move his fingers inside her, Integra clutched at the sheets unable to stop the soft little noises of pleasure escaping her. When he released his shadows to play with and caress the parts of her body his hands and mouth couldn't reach, those noise were no longer soft.

Integra was drowning in pleasure. She fought to quicken Alucard's pace, knowing that she was close to something. But the vampire continued to tease and torture her, slowing his pace. He brought to just to the edge, leaving her hanging as he pulled his finger from her. Integra nearly screamed at him for that. She didn't have the chance. The next thing she knew, Alucard's tongue had replaced her fingers, and she was screaming for another reason.

Floating from the orgasm, Integra didn't realize that Alucard had slid back up her body until he started kissing her again. He pulled away and gave her a fanged smile.

"Are you ready, my Integra?"

His tongue was tracing over the bite mark once again. Alucard bit down on her neck once again as he thrust into her body. Caught up in the rush of pleasure and pain, Integra sank her own fangs into his neck. Alucard's blood flowed into her mouth as he continued to pound into her body. Integra responded, every movement drawing her deeper into the sensations their movements caused. It was almost as if she could feel what he was feeling. She didn't know where she ended and he began. This time when she fell over the edge she couldn't tell her pleasure from her lover's.

Afterward, they simply lay together in her bed. Integra found herself oddly content. She could feel Alucard in her head stronger than when she had been human or even when she had first awakened as a vampire. He had a possessive arm draped over her stomach and a smirk on his face that she had the strong temptation to remove. Integra hadn't thought that giving in to her vampire would bring her this sort of peace and contentment. And she didn't know what happened next.

Alucard nuzzled her neck. "What ever you want, Countess. The cards you've been dealt have changed. You can destroy the fools that challenged you one way or another. Rip them apart with your bare hands or destroy their minds little by little. We could bathe this island in blood and fire."

She sighed. The idea of England brought to ruin disturbed her, but revenge did appeal to her. Integra was still furious at what they had tried to do to her. Hellsing was hers. Now and forever. The council needed to know that. In fact, Integra couldn't see why her being a vampire would change much of anything. She could even claim to have a better understanding of their capabilities. Alucard chuckled.

"Business as usual with a side of revenge? I suppose I can settle for that."

Integra laughed. She didn't quite know where things were going. She didn't even know if she had made the right decision in this, but she would and could deal with it. Integra was happy with the results, and that had to mean something. Her life had never been conventional. Why should her death be? Alucard seemed to be bored with her current train of thought and decided to return to exploring her skin. Thoughts of anything but him faded from her mind.

Two days later an unsuspecting Council of Twelve watched as Integra seated herself at the table. They were already unnerved by her dress. The high-necked white blouse and crimson skirt were very out of character for her. Integra wanted them as off balance as she could make them. Her glasses provided a shield and hid her claret eyes. She smiled at the assembled men.

"Gentlemen, I believe you are going to have to change your plans." Integra carefully set aside her glasses and smiled a smile she had learned from Alucard. "Perhaps we should renegotiate some things."