With a chuckle, Alucard carried Rifka to the bed and laid her down. He moved to a chair and sat to contemplate what he had just experienced. He found his nerves still tingling with aftermath. He lounged comfortably and watched her sleep, resting his chin against his fingers. Did she sleep from exhaustion, or satisfaction? Had this energy been pent-up inside her because she'd refused to put her trust in men the likes of Bentomir and Markus? She'd decided to trust him, so what did that mean for the cat-woman?

Her blood hadn't tasted like a human virgin's, but he still felt refreshed, exhilarated. To him that was proof enough. He felt quite high, to be truthful. He took advantage of the peace to look Rifka over. Her lean frame seemed softer now, and he watched her smooth, toned stomach rise and fall as she breathed.

There were old bruises and scars on her skin, some from knives, others from bullets, and several were caused by a whip. There was clear evidence of harsh treatment and frequent torture, but in spite of that there was still healthy inner glow to her. Was that what made her so warm? What caused it? Was she both a mutant, and something else? He thought that could be very likely. He'd fought werewolves before, but she didn't seem to fit their concept.

After five, or maybe ten minutes, Rifka stirred and rolled over onto her side, unfurling in a long, luxurious stretch. Alucard smiled and watched her eyes open. She sat up and slowly and ran her fingers through her hair. It had a proper shine to it now, he realized, since she had been able to wash and brush it regularly. He hadn't noticed before.

"So, that's what the blue button does."

"Yes." She wasn't looking at him, and he had anticipated one of her antagonistic replies. The woman sitting on his bed seemed an entirely different person.

"You've tasted my blood." He grinned at her. "Did you like it?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. Cats don't have a lot of taste buds."

He stared. Rifka's voice was smooth and casual, almost detached. He even found it quite sexy. Apparently it was true what young men said about uptight women! They really do just need a good lay!

"The blood of a True vampire, even the slightest amount, turns humans into slaves."

"Oh." Rifka looked thoughtful.

"The larger cats can survive on fresh blood, too. Isn't that right?"

She blinked and looked at him. "Yes, that's true. Is that why I'm not affected; because I'm like you… in a way?"

She was an insightful creature when she wasn't distracted by her temper. "It's possible."

"Did you like mine?"

Surprised again! She seemed to have gotten into his head, asking him questions about things no one else would have wanted to hear his opinion on. "It was different; like having curry one night after a long life of English cuisine."

"So you think I'm spicy and refreshing?" She looked at him with a downright playful smile.

He laughed in surprise and relief. There was the feistiness that had been missing from this conversation! "Are you feeling back to normal now? I'd gotten used to being sassed!"

"I don't know what normal is for me." Rifka looked at her hands. "I hope this is normal; this calm place I'm in now." She touched her neck, then her biceps and sides, all the while looking absorbed in her thoughts.

He understood what she was doing. "You've relaxed."

She heaved a loud sigh of affirmation, falling back on to the bed. "I'd forgotten what it feels like, I've been so tense for so long."

"It seems like I've done you another favor."

She looked at him and sat up sharply, her eyes narrowing. He liked the way color rose on her tanned cheeks when she got angry, the way it darkened the color of her eyes. She cut a hand through the air. "We're even!"

He changed the subject. "You already know that pain causes you to transform. I think you have the power to control that, and I think you always had, but you were never given the chance."

"That makes sense, I guess. My senses have always been flooded with pain from the highest setting. I could never adapt to that. If it built up gradually it would probably be easy. Now that I'm out of that place, I can practice." She got up and moved toward the window, looking out at the night. "I want control of my Beast. She's mine, and she shouldn't be at the mercy of anyone that comes across that damned box!" She clenched a fist.

"By the way, I think I should tell you. Markus was wrong."

Her big brown eyes were quizzical when she looked over her shoulder at him, at a loss to see what he was talking about, "Wrong about what?"

"He was wrong about using the blue button to make you beg him for sex. You never once begged me to continue. Quite the opposite, really, you were very resistant, right up till the end. I hope you still found it pleasing..."

She flushed darkly, and he couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. "I didn't realize that tasting your blood would connect us like that. Though, I've always been of the opinion that pleasure is a thing to share…" She trailed off abruptly, as though realizing she may have said too much.

When she turned away from him, he watched her closely. Even naked, her thoughts and intentions were a mystery to him. "You're strong enough to fight the Beast, we both know that. You've felt the Blue button on its highest setting, are you willing to withstand the Red one?"

He met her gaze and noticed how her dark eyes seemed both pensive and haunted, and how they added another dimension to her soulful face. It was as though she were constantly troubled by her thoughts. She looked as though she could see right into his core, and for a moment he thought he could feel it.

She drew him out of his thoughts when she finally responded to his challenge. "Pain means very little to you, Alucard… but if you controlled it for me, and talked me through it, I think I could learn to control my reaction to it."

He couldn't help but to grin at her. "Does this mean I passed your test, cat-woman? Were you hoping I would?"

"I need someone I can trust. It's a fact I'm all too aware of."

She didn't deny that she'd been testing him. She'd needed to know, ever since he'd first whispered to her in her cell, if he would be the one to free her, to help her, to finally give her the one thing keeping her from success.

She'd needed assurance.

He considered her seriously, and at once knew she would have gladly died trying on her own, and may have planned to so before he'd shown up. She'd suddenly seen that death was unnecessary…

She moved away from the window and walked over to his chair, sitting down in front of him. Her breath was slow and steady. He sat up and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "Markus always turned the dial straight to the highest setting. If you go slowly…"

"Yes. I understand."