Chapter Three

In the early hours of the morning, while the stars, at their brightest, were saying their final farewell to the sky and the darkened moon was sinking in the horizon; when a ghostly silence blanketed the countryside and even the creatures of the night were starting to wind down, he was still there watching her.

The tall, dark figure clad in red sat silently in a hard-backed wooden chair. His yellow-tinted glasses lay in his lap and his wide-brimmed hat was hanging over one side of the chair. Dawn was nearly upon him, and he knew he would have to leave soon, but could not do so just yet – not until he could see into the windows of her soul.

The woman slept peacefully – his heightened senses clearly picking out her heartbeat, her slow gentle breathing. She was completely unaware of his presence so close to her.

A feeling of peace, peace he had not felt since time immemorial, suffused him as he looked at her angelic face; a face made almost childlike in sleep. The pale lavender skin of her eyelids fluttering irregularly as her eyes moved beneath them. Her blanket covered only her legs, and he could see the pale skin of her neck and arms bared by her white camisole. Her mane of ebony hair was spread out behind her on the snowy white pillow, and the fading moonlight which filtered in through the blinds accentuated the ivory color of her skin, gently like a lover's farewell kiss.

Her scent was everywhere in the room, completely ensnaring his senses with its intoxicating effects. This type of scent was rare these days – the smell of a young virgin. He relished in it, imagining the sweetness of her life's essence – pure, untouched, and uncontaminated by the filth of the human world. The excitement rises within him, so close, so unbearably close to breaking free, to indulging in his fantasy. But he mastered himself, for her sake, and for his own doomed soul.

He moves closer to her, breathing in her scent, tasting her in the air. He can feel the heat of her body pressing against him. He, who has never felt fear before, now trembles from it, afraid of never touching her, holding her, having her. He could almost taste her on his lips, and for a moment he gave himself over to his desire, feeling his mouth begin to salivate, his mind wholly focused on the yearning to sink his fangs into her delicate neck and lap up every last drop of the warm, sweet nourishment that flowed through her veins.

But he quickly brought himself back under control before he could act out his impulse. Silently he scolded himself for acting like some half-starved, raving young novice. He would not take her by force, but he would be on guard. She would not remain as she was now for long – of that he was sure. She could very easily give herself up to the next human male who crossed her path, all in the name of love; or her gift could just as easily be stolen from her by any number of the frisky young men who called this establishment home. His master abhorred such behavior and of course discouraged it, but even the great Sir Hellsing could not control every move her men made. Fortunately the soldiers had not yet realized the potential that lay right beneath their noses, thanks for the most part to her habit of trying to be as inconspicuous as possible; sooner or later, however, their eyes would be opened, and they would as mesmerized as he himself now was.

The faint sounds of chirping birds alerted him to the arrival of dawn. Already the sky was lightening, and soon the sun itself would peek out over the horizon. He had to leave her now and return to his dungeon quarters, but he longed to look into her eyes just once before he departed. Rising from his chair, he stepped closer to the bed and with one gloved hand gently traced the side of her face. Her eyes fluttered open at his touch, and for a brief moment she was staring right at him. Her grey eyes seemed more silver in the half light, and the long black lashes that surrounded her eyes gave them the appearance of innocence and beauty.

And then they were gone, hidden behind her eyelids once more as she struggled to rouse. When her eyes opened again, he was gone – melted into the shadows where he could not be seen, but could still watch. She sat upright in her bed and cautiously looked around, peering into every darkened nook and cranny for any sign of an intruding presence. But of course she saw nothing, and for a moment she clutched the blankets protectively against her body.

Before leaving her completely, he saw her lips move ever so slightly and his heightened sense of hearing caught the single word she whispered.

"Alucard."

Grinning to himself, he returned to his own room, thinking that perhaps it would not be necessary to protect her from other men for long.

****

It was rare for Alucard to wander the mansion during daylight hours, but on this particular day he was feeling restless. He knew Integra would be sending him into the field tonight, but his Jackal was still out of commission. Katherine had promised it would be ready in time, but the Nostafaru could not help feeling antsy. Needing something to distract him, he decided to go in search of his fledgling, Ceres. He knew she would be with the other soldiers, preparing for the mission.

As the vampire neared the barracks, his sensitive hearing picked out a conversation between three men:

"So if our mission finishes up quickly, I was thinking I might go to the Spring Lodge Hotel."

"What? Again? When are you going to learn, mate? Those hookers are greedy."

"Yeah so?"

"So, why would you wanna go out when we've got our own fine little thing right here?"

"You mean the new girl? What was her name again. . .Kit?"

"That's the one!"

Alucard froze at the sound of her name and instantly changed his course of direction, heading towards the soldiers. Their conversation continued:

"I saw 'er on 'er first day; man, was she fine-looking."

"Yeah? Nothing like the way she looks now?"

"No! I'm telling ya, that Hellsing woman probably ordered 'er to dress down so she won't draw attention."

"Nah, I'm willing to bet she does it on purpose. Probably thinks herself too good for common soldiers like us."

"Well I'm sure we can change 'er mind!"

The other two chuckled darkly, and Alucard left before he could act upon the impulse to slaughter all three of them, moving instead back the way he had come. His first thought was that he needed to find Katherine before anyone else could, but when he was a few meters away, he picked out her soft, startled gasp and an increase in her heart rate.

Thinking that perhaps someone had beaten him to the punch – though it was highly unlikely – he floated into her workshop through the thick, stone walls and found her kneeling on the ground before an open cabinet, her back to him. She had not sensed his arrival, and appeared to be rummaging around for something.

It was then that the sharp, overpowering scent of fresh blood hit his nose, and he was caught off-guard for a moment. An involuntary growl rumbled up from deep within his chest as instinct kicked in.

The threatening sound did not escape Katherine's attention, who had hesitantly glanced back over her shoulder. When she saw Alucard, her eyes widened with fear, and she rose smoothly, clutching her left hand protectively to her chest.

"A-Alucard. What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice wavering with uncertainty. Alucard's gaze swept down to her left hand and he caught sight of a bright red droplet of blood escape from her clenched fingers and fall to the ground with a splash that could be heard only by him. Katherine had frozen, her eyes betraying her fear for him.

It was the first time he had seen that look in her eyes.

He did not like it.

Gaining control of his urges and trying his best to ignore the tantalizingly sweet smell, Alucard slowly walked towards her, careful not to make any sudden moves that would alarm her. His eye caught sight of the bloody knife lying on the table where she worked, the one she had no doubt injured herself with.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a low tone. She nodded, her eyes never leaving his approaching form.

"May I see?" he asked, holding out his hand. She hesitated, which was normal. A bleeding human in the presence of a bloodthirsty vampire was not exactly ideal circumstances, especially when that human was a young virgin maiden.

"Katherine, are you afraid of me?"

"Of course! Humans like me are your food source," she replied, tightening her grip on her left hand, causing another droplet of blood to drip down her arm. Alucard smirked;

"I am a well-fed vampire, Miss Elbourne. You don't have to worry," he assured her, extending his outstretched hand a little further. Katherine stared into his eyes for a moment longer before submitting. She opened her wounded hand, revealing the angry red slash that ran across her palm. There was evidence of clotting along the edges of the gash, but the center still oozed fresh blood.

"It was an accident. I was just looking for a first-aid kit," she explained softly, her eyes now staring at the wound. Alucard gently ran a finger over the gash, wiping away the blood so he could better examine the wound.

"It doesn't look all that bad. You should be fine if you just bind it."

With a nod she went back to rummaging around in search of supplies, and while her back was turned, Alucard slipped the finger he had used into his mouth, sucking off all trace of her blood. She tasted as good as she smelled, and just those few drops had given him an appetite for more. Fortunately for her, he was good at controlling himself.

Katherine found a small box containing some first-aid supplies, and she scratched through the contents until she found some ointment and a small strip of bandage. He watched as she applied the ointment, her mouth twisting in pain at the sting, before she attempted to wrap the bandage around her hand. The smell of the ointment interfered with the smell of the blood, easing the tension in Alucard's body.

Alucard watched her struggle for a few minutes before silently holding out his hand once more. She relented much faster this time, and within a few seconds he had bound the ends together.

"Thank you," she said, but he was already making for the door.

"Wait!" she called after him, half rising from her seat. Alucard paused, turning his head slightly – enough to acknowledge her but not enough to see her.

"I. . ." she started, but drifted away. "Don't go," she wanted to say, to beg, to plead. Whenever Alucard was around, she felt both terrified and fascinated. He was a creature of darkness – that she knew – but he was also a man of beauty, of strength, and of danger. She was completely enchanted by him.

"Don't you want your gun?"

"Is it ready?"

"Well no, but it will be if you just give me a few min-"

"Have Walter bring it down to me when it's ready."

He continued for the door, sensing her disappointment. It both pleased and worried him, and the conflicting emotions were making him uneasy. He needed to escape her presence, to seal himself in his coffin where he could clear his head, but before he could leave, he sensed the approach of someone else.

"Don't tell anyone I'm here," he ordered before melting into the shadows, a silent observer. Katherine had no time to question him, as a soldier entered the room at that moment.

"Can I help you?" Katherine asked, her voice strong and calm, though her eyes looked past the soldier at the spot where she had seen Alucard disappear.

"Me and some of the boys are heading out after the mission, and I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"

Katherine could almost see Alucard's bright red eyes glaring out at the man – could almost feel him urging her to decline.

"Thank you, but no," she replied, her brow knitting together as she continued to stare into the darkness, but the man misinterpreted her look of annoyance.

"Why not? You too good to hang out with ruffians like us?"

Startled by his angry reply, Katherine tried to explain: "No, that's not it, I –"

"Ah forget it!" he shouted, turning his back on her and walking out. Katherine watched him leave before bringing her hands up to her hips.

"Alucard!"

But he had already left, satisfied that for now at least trouble had been averted. She would be alright for now, and once the mission had been completed, Alucard would be there once more to watch over her.

As he returned to his quarters, all thoughts of Katherine were pushed to the back of his mind – not completely out of reach, but far enough so that they would not interfere with the task that lay ahead. He was anxious for battle, hungry for fresh blood, desperate to rid himself of his boredom and frustrations.

Tonight, he would get the release he was looking for.