"Van Helsing…Wilhelmina, aren't you two hungry?" Cardia put down her fork, concerned about the two full plates sitting untouched.
"Don't mind me." He waved off the question. "Her, on other hand."
The vampire wobbled in place, fighting to stay awake.
"Wilhelmina, are you okay?" Cardia cast a dubious look at the unresponsive female.
"…" She remained unfocused.
"Wil…helmina?"
"…"
Everyone but Van Helsing jumped out of their seats after the woman's head crashed face-first into the table.
"Is she dead? What happened?!" Victor immediately reached into his pockets for his equipment while simultaneously checking for a pulse on the vampire.
"Nooooo! My vampire maiden can't be dead, we still haven't kissed under the moonlight." Impey pounded his fist against the table.
Cardia stood nearby, wanting to help but unable to. The count patted her shoulder in reassurance.
"Calm down, she does this periodically." Van Helsing told them flippantly.
"What? This is clearly something serious." The doctor objected, grabbing the woman's shoulders to lift her up.
"I'm telling you not to bother. She'll be up." He twitched at Victor's hands on Wilhelmina.
The vampire suddenly jerked upward, almost clubbing the doctor in the face.
"I'm hungry." She declared and started eating like nothing was wrong.
"See." The gunman drank his coffee.
"Why are you on the floor, Master Victor?" The vampire's eyes moved from person to person. "Why are you all crowding me? Is something wrong? Should I take my meal back to my quarters?"
"She's totally unaware…" Impey helped Victor up and whispered to him. "Should we say something?"
"Not right now. I'll give her a check-up later." He responded.
Saint Germain addressed one of the vampire's questions. "There's no need for you to eat alone, Miss Wilhelmina. You're not a servant in my household. I'm sure I speak for all present when I say we enjoy having you at meals."
She lowered her gaze from the count's kind smile.
A week passed since she and the master moved into Saint Germain's mansion.
The relocation was an adjustment for both vampires. The biggest change was the sleeping schedules.
The vampires switched from awakening at night to awakening at morning alongside the other humans. The other major change was the count's insistence that there were no servants in his household. Everyone did chores and took care of themselves.
Delacroix went red in the face when the males told him off for working Wilhelmina like a dog by cooking all his meal, washing his clothes, running his errands, and tucking him in at night.
Lupin and Impey more or less told the boy to man up and do things on his own. The young vampire had all but secluded himself to his room afterwards, refusing to speak to any of the occupants.
Besides Wilhelmina, Cardia was probably the only person Delacroix would interact with and those interactions consisted of the girl attempting to converse and getting terse answers in return.
Wilhelmina felt so out of her element with these humans. They were turning her world upside down.
"Hey guys. What's wrong with you all? You look like hell." Lupin announced himself with a flourish.
"Where have you been? Nobody's seen you for a few days. We've all been worried." Victor inquired.
"I had some things to deal with. Apologies for not telling you in advance. But, here are the funds for our future activities." He dumped a heavy bag on the table and turned it over, expelling a mountain of bills.
Wilhelmina blinked. She'd never seen so much money in her life.
"Our troubles are long gone. With this much, we could even buy ourselves an airship!" Impey cooed over the money, fantasizing about the airship.
"Then…our money problems are over?" Cardia tilted her head.
She still didn't have a full grasp of the importance of money.
"Seems that way." Van Helsing slid a wad of cash further from his plate.
"You are quite the thief to have stolen all of that." Wilhelmina appraised Lupin in a new light. "Master Dracula and I should take notes."
"I appreciate the praise but I think you're viewing me as your common, no-good thief. I assure you, I came by this honestly, without violence." He crossed his arms and leveled everyone with a serious frown. "I didn't earn this money so we could spend it on lavish things. Let's plan our expenditures more carefully from now on."
All but Wilhelmina nodded.
How much money did these people spend on a daily basis? She couldn't fathom spending even a quarter of the amount on the table.
The clothes she borrowed from the castle were her first venture into luxury and most of them were middle-class wares and wouldn't put a dent in the mountain of bills.
"Does anyone have an idea where Delacroix the younger is?" Lupin looked primarily at Wilhelmina.
"I think Delly is in his room." Cardia answered since the vampire was giving off that dazed look.
He shook his head. "I just came from there and he wasn't in. Damn, where could he be…any idea, Wilhelmina?"
She twisted her head towards Cardia, unresponsive to Lupin. "Did you refer to Master Dracula as 'Delly'?"
"Yes." The girl lightly smiled. "Impey came up with that nickname."
The vampire covered her mouth, holding back a snort.
Her master would not agree to that nickname.
"We gotta come up with a name for Wilhelmina, too. It's pretty but a mouthful." The engineer butted in. "How bout Mina? Eh? Eh?!"
Van Helsing stiffened and put his cup down a little too quickly, causing some of it to spill over his gloves. He paid more attention to the deathly-still vampire than the burning on his skin.
"No." Wilhelmina glared intensely at Impey, causing him to shrivel up and whine pathetically. "Don't ever call me 'Mina'."
She abruptly stood, gave her thanks for the meal and drifted out.
Mina.
Wilhelmina hated that name just as much as she hated the name Tepes! She would never answer to that name.
Not that woman's name!
"Wilhelmina!"
A hand tugged her back before she could collide with a dresser and knock over a vase.
"You really must pay more attention. Even a lady would not be entirely free from Saint Germain's displeasure at finding one of his antiques destroyed." Lupin set the woman back on her feet.
"My apologies. Did you need something?"
"We wanted to check on you…and bring Delly his food." Cardia lifted the tray she was carrying.
Coincidentally, Wilhelmina walked to her master's room in her stupor. Old habits would not die.
"I do not believe he is present. I don't smell him."
"Doesn't hurt to check." The thief knocked since Cardia's hands were full.
There was no answer.
"Where could he be?" The girl set the tray by the door. "I don't want his food to get cold."
"And I must speak with him." Lupin turned his golden orbs on the other vampire. "You mentioned his scent. Are you able to locate him by smell?"
"Allow me to find him." Wilhelmina twitched her nose, sniffing for the boy's particular aroma of a dewy forest. "Follow me."
She led them to the garden where Delacroix was playing with a dog.
"Don't lick my face so much! Haha, y-you…" The young vampire protested, not doing much to stop the dog from climbing all over him and peppering his face with sloppy kisses.
"He looks like he's having fun." Cardia voiced what Wilhelmina was thinking.
The vampire hadn't seen a carefree smile grace her master's face since before the death of his parents.
"A smile makes him look cuter, doesn't it?" Lupin grinned and approached Delacroix.
With a fragment of hesitation for ruining the idyllic scene, Wilhelmina followed the two.
"Fine, very well. You may serve under me like Tepes. Isn't it an honor?" The boy picked up the dog and brought him close to his face, being licked in response. "Oh, you have potential, obeying me without resistance, unlike someone I know. I shall give you the highest seat in my army of darkness! Tepes shall have to work twice as hard to beat you."
"Do you hear how unappreciative he is of you, Wilhelmina? He is in dire need of a man-to-man talk." The thief sighed in dismay on the woman's behalf.
"What is the 'army of darkness'?" Cardia wondered.
"The army he's building to wipe out the human race." Wilhelmina provided nonchalantly and received horrified stares.
Delacroix finally took notice of his audience and jumped back to take a fighting stance. The dog whined at the sudden departure of warmth and joy.
"T-Tepes, how dare you sneak up on me! Announce yourself like you're supposed to!"
She obediently curtsied. "Pardon the intrusion, Master Dracula. Lupin and Cardia wish for an audience with you."
"What's the point of doing it now?!"
"You just said to announce myself."
"No, no, you fool! I meant you were supposed to do that before!" Delacroix ruffled his hair in frustration.
"How could I when you were immersed in playing?"
"S-Shut up!" The young vampire rounded on Wilhelmina, jabbing her in the side repeatedly. "I-I wasn't playing, that behavior is for children and I am a king!"
"As you say, Master." She took the painful hits without a break in her indifferent expression.
"I'm very concerned about his tantrums but Wilhelmina doesn't seem bothered by them." Lupin frowned thoughtfully. "Is he hitting her…playfully? Vampires are stronger than humans…maybe it's normal."
This was another issue they were going to have to address with the adolescent boy.
"I see you and Sisi have become friends." Cardia interrupted the spat.
"Hmph! It's none of your business. But…this fellow's name is Sisi?" Delacroix removed himself from his servant.
"You've been playing with him all this time and didn't know his name?" Wilhelmina smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.
Cardia cut in before the younger vampire could snap at the older one. "Impey named him."
Delacroix's amber eyes went wide.
"The red-headed man who appears to have the lowest intellect of the bunch? A shame to think 'that' named you…" He leaned down, petting Sisi with a look of pity.
Impey Barbicane.
Wilhelmina had her suspicions that the man wasn't the idiot he played himself out to be…
More importantly, he didn't give off the same vibe as the other humans.
She would investigate more into the matter if the engineer weren't so tiring to deal with. His rampant mouth-running often made her tune him out or run in opposite direction.
Impey chasing her down afterwards usually ended with her snapping and punching him or if he was lucky, another resident would distract him away from her, saving him from a painful thrashing.
"I have a souvenir for you and the lady." Lupin's cheery snap of a finger caused Wilhelmina to blink and give him a once over.
He preened under the undivided attention.
"A souvenir? You aren't holding anything." Delacroix looked around the thief for the supposed gift.
"Oh, excuse me." The man took a large square of cloth from a pocket and laid it on the ground.
A small suitcase appeared after the cloth was removed.
"Wha-?! You're some kind of wizard!"
"Unfortunately, I'm just a gentleman thief. This was a trick. As is this." Lupin flicked his hand, holding out a flower for Wilhelmina.
"Oh…" She tentatively took it at his urging. "T-Thank you, Master Lupin…"
The words felt slippery and strange on her lips as they were genuine and not the faux thanks she usually gave Delacroix. She received flowers from one other person in her entire life.
The gesture reminded her of kind violet eyes and a shy smile.
What happened to that man?
"Ah, there's a wonderful smile. All of us were starting to wonder if we'd ever see it. I'm honored to have the first viewing of it, mademoiselle." Lupin grinned impishly and held his hand out to the other female present. "Don't think I forgot you, lovely Cardia."
Another flower appeared and so did another smile.
Delacroix still gobsmacked at the display of tricks, couldn't find it in himself to object to someone else giving tokens of affection to his servant.
Her smile and endearment belonged to him and no one else.
"Pay attention to what's inside. You'll be surprised." The thief opened the suitcase for the young vampire.
"What is this about?" Spell broken, Delacroix sniffed haughtily at Lupin's assured attitude.
"Master, look!" Wilhelmina gasped at the contents.
"T-Those are…the treasures of the vampires I was supposed to steal back!" The boy fell to his knees, reverently inspecting all the beautiful pieces of artwork, gems, and antiques. "Look, Tepes! It's our people's heirlooms."
"Yes, I see." She softened and accepted some of the jewels he thrust into her hands for inspection.
"You had them all this time?! Give them back! They belong to my people!"
Lupin patted the irate boy's head, effectively stopping him from pummeling the thief. "Yes, yes, I know. I stole all these for you."
"S-Stole them? For me?" Delacroix stopped pushing against the man, who let out a tiny sigh of relief from the impromptu workout.
Lupin knew that if he really wanted to, the little vampire could've overpowered him.
Wilhelmina closed the suitcase and stood. "I do believe he's telling the truth."
Amber eyes flickered distrustfully between the case and thief, debating if the man would try to take it back.
"I never steal for myself. I do it for others. I just found where your treasures were kept and picked them up." Lupin patted Delacroix's head more kindly this time. "I looked into it and the people who owned these items were all making dirty money. It felt good to steal from them."
The boy jerked away from the petting and stood resolutely by Wilhelmina, snarling in mortification. "W-What is the meaning of this? I have no way to repay you for these."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to take them back. I've already been paid handsomely by the folks I stole these from."
"Oh…the 'handling fee' you mentioned?" Cardia smiled at him.
Lupin laughed, nodding joyously.
"How do you like it, Sir Delacroix, Lady Wilhelmina? This is how a real thief gets things done." He spun, giving them a graceful bow.
"I'm not going to thank you." Delacroix blushed hotly, crossing his arms and stubbornly turning his nose up at the man.
"I will." The young vampire squawked as Wilhelmina bowed her head deeply. "Thank you for retrieving these, Master Lupin. You've saved me from months of tedious work."
Lupin lifted her chin and smiled pleasantly.
"I should be thanking the two of you. Going after these artifacts allowed me to earn a huge amount of money in a way I view as ethical." He tapped her nose as an afterthought. "Stop adding Master to my name as well."
Cardia smiled at the affronted expression on the vampire's face from the playful admonishment. "I see. We have Delly and Will to thank for you taking action."
Delacroix raised his hand imperiously. "Hold on, you can't possibly be calling me 'Delly' can you? I will not be referred to by such a ridiculous name."
"Pardon, but 'Delacroix the Second' is a mouthful. It's not making fun of you, it's a step towards true friendship." Lupin defended.
"Tsk! And what of Tepes? Why are you lot calling her 'Wilhelmina' and now 'Will'?"
Cardia and Lupin shared a confused frown and glanced at the older vampire for help.
"Wilhelmina is my original name, Master Dracula. Tepes is the name I was-" She stopped herself from using the word "forced".
As much as she disliked the name, it would be ungrateful of her to vocalize dissatisfaction. Taking on a new designation in exchange for a place to belong wasn't unreasonable.
"It was the name given to me by Father upon my arrival to the coven and how the other vampires referred to me."
"What? Why was I…unaware of this?" A sad look clouded over Delacroix's face.
Why at times did it feel like he knew nothing about his servant?
"Looks like there's a bit of naming confusion with you two." Lupin quipped to bring the mood back up.
The rumbling of Delacroix's stomach did the trick.
"I left some breakfast by the door to your room if you want it." Cardia perked up.
"I-I don't need breakfast!" He ran towards the mansion and then whirled around. "I will not thank you! I'm not indebted to you at all!"
Lupin shrugged.
"Don't just stand there! Come with me, Tepes!"
She blew out a puff of air. "Yes, Master Dracula."
"Never a break for you, Miss Will. At least it means you're doing a good job." The thief chuckled at her pout.
She chewed her lip pensively. "I've a nickname too, now…I suppose it's better than 'Mina'."
"Tepes!"
"Coming, Master."
"May we come with you, Will?" Cardia fell in step with the vampire.
Sisi trotted behind them.
"As you wish."
Her new life was so tiring.
Realize
"Is this necessary, Master Doctor?" Wilhelmina sighed for fifth time as Victor jotted down more notes after taking her pulse.
"Just 'Victor' is fine…" He absentmindedly replied before registering her question. "It is absolutely necessary! People don't collapse out of nowhere. Do you know how terrified I was when you slumped against the table?!"
She shrugged unhelpfully, nearly knocking off the device on her chest. "At least I nodded off while eating and not in the middle of a fight."
"What?!"
"It's happened before and Master Dracula tossed me to safety. Afterwards he smacked me until I awoke and gave me an earful." Wilhelmina relaxed against the couch since Victor wouldn't be done anytime soon. "He doesn't make me fight unless necessary because of the unpredictability of my naps. The other vampires weren't so accommodating…particularly, Father…"
"These blackouts have been going on for years and no one's taken you to a doctor?!" He was borderline hysterical at the blatant abuse Wilhelmina went through without complaint, or rather, indifferent acceptance.
He did catch her muttering when Delacroix wasn't nearby.
Victor also saw a terrible scar peeking out on the back of her neck after the vampire removed the outer layers of her dress.
Her ribs were also tender upon inspection. He'd expected them to be broken from often Delacroix hit her. Thankfully, they weren't.
However, all of this had to stop.
"I want you to come to my room for weekly check-ups. You and Cardia are a handful on my nerves." Victor set his tools down and gazed firmly at Wilhelmina. "I'm going to fix this, I promise."
"What's there to fix? I just sleep more than most."
It felt odd to have someone so interested in her wellbeing.
"There's a difference between being lethargic and blacking out. While we're on the subject, your low energy levels even when consuming food on a regular basis, concerns me. Are you getting enough to eat?" He lifted a chart and read over its contents. "You're underweight for a woman your age as well. Maybe I should tell Impey to increase your servings."
At twenty-four, Wilhelmina appeared fragile underneath the layers of fancy clothing.
"Human food can't sustain me like fresh blood does." She groaned pitifully. "Just thinking about it makes me hungry…and I already had breakfast."
Delacroix's blood had been right there on her hand…waiting for her to sample it. Old conditioning prevented her from indulging in the divine liquid.
What a shame.
"W-Will, your eyes are glowing r-red!" Victor rolled back from her.
"Sorry…I would…really like to bite someone right now. Abraham threatened to shoot me if I did though." She chewed her lip instead, willing the bloodlust to rest. "Human food isn't as good…"
The doctor hummed in acknowledgement.
"It's easy to forget you and Delly are vampires with how adaptive you two are to human tendencies. I'll have to speak with Saint Germain about this." He started mumbling more to himself. "I could get some blood packs from a hospital but there's no way to store it. Or I could donate mine…maybe rotations…"
Wilhelmina blinked, stunned at how much thought Victor was putting into her complaint. "You needn't worry about me. I'll figure it out."
"How were you and Delly getting blood before?" The doctor didn't look up from his writing.
"Master Dracula hasn't reached maturity yet so he doesn't require many feedings. Human food satisfies his hunger on most days. A blood feeding once a month is enough for him. When that time comes, he bites from me." The vampire inspected her arm where fading puncture wounds were.
They would've healed completely if she had a consistent supply of blood to facilitate her healing.
"Recently he's started getting shy about feeding from me directly. I have to slit my wrist and give it to him in a glass. I don't understand the sudden bashfulness."
For some reason Delacroix had been getting shyer and shyer by the day around Wilhelmina. Before, the brat didn't bat an eye at her bathing and clothing him but now he absolutely hated it.
Plus, the feeding had become an issue. Didn't he understand that cuts were worse than puncture wounds?
"Ah, I'm hearing so many things I shouldn't! Vampire culture is another world." Victor stuttered, knocking over some of his equipment.
"Would you rather speak to Abraham? Surely he can explain our nature in a manner that won't unsettle you." Wilhelmina returned all the fallen items back to their original place in the blink of an eye.
"Somehow I think that would be even more awkward." He gaped at the returned equipment and then shook his head, deciding to inquire about something else. "Do you mind telling me why you call Van Helsing by his first name so easily? You're uncomfortable addressing the rest of us casually."
As a certified doctor, Victor felt obligated to treat her wounds both physically and mentally but as the days were passing, he was beginning to get more invested in treating the poor girl more as a friend would and less as a doctor would.
"Hmm, it's because I'm not trying to be respectful to him." Wilhelmina was sporting such a cute pout that Victor chuckled. "And…old habits are hard to break. It's the same thing with Master Dracula whining about me calling him 'Master Delacroix'. It doesn't work."
Van Helsing insisted on the informality between them after how much time they spent together.
As an honored guest of the king, he wasn't required to interact with Wilhelmina but after the one time he caught her sleeping alone in the forest away from the castle, Van Helsing took an interest in her like no one had before.
"What's funny?" She asked after Victor's chuckles increased in volume.
"N-Nothing, it's just cute to see you complaining with that big pout. I'm relieved that you don't mind doing it in front of me." He was concerned that her apathy ran so deep that Wilhelmina view her treatment as acceptable.
Technically, abusive masters weren't anything new in their society but in this household, no one would stand to see a lady be mistreated.
"I complain all the time, just out of the master's hearing range." She confirmed what Victor already suspected. "Are you finished with your examination?"
"A-Ah, almost! I got distracted." He removed all the devices off her and jotted down some more observations. "One last question and you can go."
The vampire patiently waited for the doctor to look up from his writing.
"You told me how Delly acquires blood…how do you? Does he let you bite him?"
This time it was Wilhelmina that burst out laughing.
"W-What? Was that rude? Wrong? Too intrusive?" Victor panicked, wondering if he should get Van Helsing to teach him about vampires to prevent any slip-ups from him.
Delacroix might put up more of a fuss than Wilhelmina if Victor said something to set him off.
"I-It's absurd is what it is!" Tears gathered at the corner of Wilhelmina's eyes. "The very idea that a pureblood would allow a low-born vampire to feed from them is blasphemy! It's like asking your queen to let dirty peasants dine off her table."
"I get it." Victor said softly, expression going sour at the mention of Britain's monarch.
Wilhelmina calmed herself.
"Don't feel bad, Master Victor. You didn't offend me." She curled her lips upwards, exposing her fangs. "In fact, you gave me the greatest laugh. For that, I thank you."
"I-If you say so, Will…" He didn't like how self-depreciating her smile appeared. "Back to my question."
"I fed on the humans unfortunate enough to trespass on the castle grounds. You all saw what I did to them afterwards."
Victor remembered. The horrific sight of heads on pikes was forever seared in his mind.
"You won't be doing any of that here. I promise I'll come up with something, just hang tight."
She'd been hanging tight for two weeks now.
"Yes, Doctor."
He smiled. "I'm all done here. Why don't you get some rest? I know mornings are still difficult for you."
Wilhelmina lit up. "Truly? Are those your orders as a doctor?"
His smile got brighter and he chuckled. "Uh-huh. I'll tell Delly the same thing if he whines about it."
"I think you may be my favorite human, Master Victor."
"Aww, you're making me blush, Will." Victor rubbed his head, cheeks red at her sweet smile.
Realize
"Wilhelmina if you don't get up, I'm dragging you out." Van Helsing threatened, pulling hard enough on the duvet to rip it in two.
"No. Master Victor said I could sleep." She burrowed deeper into the cocoon of blankets.
"He said you could nap, not go into hibernation!" He switched tactics since pulling was proving fruitless.
The man dug his hands beneath the sheets, searching for the vampire.
"Stop bothering me."
"I would, if everyone else weren't afraid to wake you." He growled. "Your laziness is worse than I remember."
"Go away, Abraham!" Wilhelmina screeched as a hand latched onto her foot. "Let go!"
"Not a chance. Out of this bed and into the meeting these fools are holding." Van Helsing yanked her out of the hiding place and instantly regretted it. "W-What? Why are you undressed?! It's still light out!"
The vampire scowled petulantly. "This is my room, isn't it? I can sleep however I wish."
Van Helsing fought to maintain his composure in the face of Wilhelmina sprawled out before him in a blue chemise that was practically see-through.
Much of her porcelain skin was exposed and the man's eyes unconsciously flickered between the vampire's long legs and the rise and fall of her chest. His breath hitched painfully and the room felt entirely too hot.
"Ow, ow, ow. Stop squeezing, you'll break it!" She re-claimed her foot after he let go in a moment of mortification.
Wilhelmina raised her leg to inspect the area.
"Ugh, now you're leaving bruises on me."
"Do you have no modesty?! I can see everything!" The gunman slammed her leg down, hiding the matching undergarments from view.
He felt the slightest bit bad for the moan of pain she hissed out.
"Why are you being so rough with me, Abraham?! Or were you always a brute?" Wilhelmina whined, trying to shuffle back under the covers and away from the man strong-arming her.
For a human, Van Helsing was astonishingly strong.
He flinched as if struck, allowing the woman to slip back under the covers.
The gunman scoffed, jerking her right back out and pulling Wilhelmina to her feet. "Get dressed. Now. We're making the others wait."
"Are you going to watch me?" She met his heated gaze unflinchingly.
"I feel like if I step out, you'll dive back in bed and we'll be repeating this all over."
"Fine. I don't care." The vampire wrenched her arm out of his hold.
She kicked her stockings off the ground and into her hand, proceeding to put them on right in front of her audience.
"W-Wilhelmina!" Van Helsing spun away from the tempting sight, grinding his teeth at how hyper-aware he was of every sigh she exhaled, every rustle of clothing, and how utterly uncomfortable his body's responses were making him.
"You were the one who refused to leave."
The gunman counted to ten, breathing very deeply to ignore his pounding heart.
"I'm done."
Van Helsing stole a glance backwards and faced her again after verifying that she was indeed decent.
"Your hair is a mess." He snorted.
"It's fine." Wilhelmina decided after spotting her reflection.
Her hair wasn't unseemly to look at.
"No, it's not. Otherwise I wouldn't have pointed it out."
The vampire scowled impatiently at the man.
"Fix it."
"…"
"I'm not asking you, woman."
Wilhelmina huffed and moved over to the vanity. "You're so bossy! 'Wilhelmina get up', 'Wilhelmina get dressed', 'Wilhelmina fix your hair'. I didn't realize you were my master, Abraham."
She hissed from the brush meeting tangles in her rushed strokes.
"Don't mock me. You're the one still acting like a child."
"At least one of us hasn't changed." A thick mass of tangles almost caused the vampire to drop the brush.
"Give me that!" Van Helsing swiped the object and took ahold her hair. "Of all the childish, insufferable women I've met, you top them all."
Despite how harshly he cursed at her his strokes were gentle. In no time, the dark tresses became soft as silk.
"Abraham?" Wilhelmina felt like she could choke on his scent from how closely he was leaning in.
His nose was inches away from the top her head.
The nostalgia of the moment wasn't lost to her. She couldn't breathe.
Not long ago in a castle thriving with occupants, Van Helsing would visit her and seeing how exhausted she was from serving the royal family, offer to comb her hair with the tenderest of touches that could send her straight to dreamland. She continued to feel hands carding through her hair even after she drifted off.
The ritual started after Wilhelmina confided in him that she missed having someone else do it. Admitting that she longed for her mother's rare instances of maternal affection had been one of her most vulnerable moments with Van Helsing.
Did that man with kind eyes and abundant affection still exist? Could he still exist after everything he did two years ago?
"Lets go." Van Helsing let the strands of hair slip out his grasp and he was out the door.
Wilhelmina toyed with the ends of her hair.
If Delacroix killed the man, she wouldn't be dealing with this annoying confusion. Why didn't she hate him?
Why were her thoughts constantly going back to what once was?
"The sleeping beauty rises at last. I feared we were going to have to put you in a coffin." Saint Germain set his tea down on the plate he was holding. "Van Helsing doesn't look injured. We might have to appoint him as Miss Wilhelmina's alarm clock."
She'd made it to the meeting room without thinking about it.
"That's supposed to be my job. Don't take away my favorite part of the day! I love trying to wake Sleeping Beauty with a kiss." Impey objected wholeheartedly.
"But you end up the most damaged when you're the one to wake her. I don't think we should torment Miss Wilhelmina further nor use up more of Victor's time and supplies for treating you."
"Saint G, how can you say that?! My face is a great thing to wake up to!" The engineer grinned brightly, motioning for Wilhelmina to sit by him on the couch. "Right, Will?"
"No, I don't think so." The vampire took the opposite seat by Lupin.
"Rejected twice in one instant." He cried. "Van Helsing, I can count you."
The engineer attempted once more for someone to take the empty seat beside him.
The gunman wordlessly sat next to Victor.
"Why are you all so unappreciative of my amazingness?!"
"I'll sit next to you if it means that much, Impey." Cardia scooted forward to get up from her place next to the count but he tutted, patting her knee in the negative.
"We mustn't spoil him, Miss Cardia."
Impey wept buckets of tears.
Wilhelmina sighed. Such weird group of humans.
A thief that stole only when it helped others. An engineer obsessed with reaching the moon. A doctor featured on every wanted-poster in the city. A vampire hunter. A count with hoarding tendencies.
Tying them all together was a girl with a poisonous touch.
Wilhelmina didn't believe them for a minute when Cardia's condition was explained. A demonstration of the girl melting a flower with the lightest touch of her bare finger made a believer out of Delacroix and her.
What kind of human had that power? What kind of father would curse his child with the inability to touch anything?
Wilhelmina's father would appear a saint next to Issac Beckford and her sire was in no sense, a loving parent.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty." Lupin whispered into her ear, earning a shiver from her. "You are one step away from sleeping with your eyes open."
"Don't do that, Master Lupin. I might accidentally hit you out of surprise."
"Then you should pay attention, you missed everything." The thief flashed her a smirk. "Unless you want me whispering in your ear."
She shrugged. "Better than being hit."
Six pairs of eyes stared at her.
"Why don't you ladies turn in for the night? There are some things needed to be discussed among us men." Saint Germain bid them obey with a peaceful smile.
Cardia nodded. "I can go over the plan with Will."
"You humans stay busy it seems." She stood and went with the girl.
Cardia recounted Victor's gamble to coerce Queen Victoria into lifting his warrant and limiting Twilight's movements as they checked on Delacroix before heading to bed.
The boy most likely wouldn't be interested in helping. Wilhelmina was on the fence about lending her help despite the other's inclusion of her in the plan.
A vampire shouldn't meddle in human affairs but Victor was the one asking for help…
He did promise to procure blood for her and he was worming his way into her affection.
Maybe Wilhelmina could lend a hand.
