It felt good.

“Mother was right, this is... wonderful," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

Carter awoke that morning feeling as if last night had been a dream, the most real and vivid dream he'd ever had. It was simply hard to imagine such pleasure could be real. Yet his still present fatigue and

Taki lying on top of him proved otherwise.

His mind swirled with the memory of their intense copulation. He felt a longing to do it again, even as his body told him he wasn't up to it.

All the same he felt a sense of joy and wellbeing fill him, an impression that for the first time in his life everything was going to be okay. He chuckled to himself, if this happiness was what it meant to become the prisoner of a monster's body, then he would happily accept it. He shut his eyes and basked in the feeling of Taki's curvy form straddling him, even as his exhausted member thoroughly refused to put in any more work for the foreseeable future. Or so it seemed. Little

Carter still twitched as the lithe woman stirred, and Carter opened his eyes to see Taki looking down at him, her hard expression softening as they gazed at each other.

"You look tired," she noted, the barest hint of concern in her voice.

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't break anything Last night."

“Demonic energy has many uses," she remarked, her gaze shifting away.

“The more we copulate the better your body will adapt to mine and in the meanwhile my energy will reduce the burden on your body. Still, for now it would be good for you to rest more. I'll bring us some breakfast. You would prefer fruit to meat yes?"

“Ah, yes, thank you." He wasn't sure what to make of her uneasiness.

Her eyes shifted again, and he realized she felt nervous. Then, without further warning, she kissed him Long and hard on the Lips until she had left him breathless.

Breaking the kiss, she stood and shut her eyes in concentration. Her green second skin rapidly reformed around her, as did her armor, and in seconds she stood before him looking her usual self. She then turned to leave, only to have her eyes fall on the red ribbon she had worn the night before lying on the floor. She bent to pick it up and smoothly retied it on her neck.

Carter caught his breath and held out a hand for her to stop. "Wait, I wanted to ask you something.

"Yes?" she asked, glancing back.

“What is the story with that thread? I never saw it before last night.

It must be important right?"

“It is a marriage thread," she explained, touching it.

“Mantises wear it for their first mating and every day after that."