Prey for Me

He glanced past her again at the splash of pink and white on the other side of the bar, the petal-shaped adornments on the female’s limbs drawing his eye. She was talking to a male who was much smaller than her, probably a Carolina with his gray and brown coloring.

Bringing his eyes back to his conversation partner at the bar, Leif realized that she had stopped talking and both pseudopupils were boring into him, expressing her displeasure.

“Current company not stimulating enough for you?”

“What? No! Why would you say that?”

“You can’t seem to stop looking through me, maybe I should take a peek and see what’s so enticing back there.”

She instantly whipped her head one hundred and eighty degrees to size up the other female. She stared for a moment and then slowly rotated her gaze back, looking more deadly furious than before.

“Of course. With an Orchid around, why would you want to look at a frumpy Ghost like me? Why don’t you just go over there and talk to that hussy since you’re so interested!”

She turned and buzzed away while he was still sitting there, mandible agape.

True, she had been a very plain Ghost Mantis, all browns and tans, but she had also been boring. The conversation revolved around hobbies and current events, and he wanted to talk about adventures and conflict. He prided himself as well-traveled, having visited other members of his Chinese Mantis family all over the globe. He had hunted on every continent, survived attacks from crows, frogs, and even bats, and even though his coloring was common, he felt that he was physically attractive. He had a delightful, bright green stripe running along the edge of his wings, and he told people he was five inches tall, even though he was closer to four and a half. He deserved a more interesting mate than a bland Ghost.

He settled in to study the Orchid. She was absolutely stunning, and a glance around the bar showed that she had many admirers. Leif could tell from her body language that the male Carolina was not impressing her; her wings were starting to subtly spread, and the spines on her forelegs glinted as she slowly lifted them, shifting her weight. The Carolina male needed no further hints and scurried out the door.

Almost instantly, every male mantis in the bar began to slowly approach the female Orchid, as if in slow motion. Leif was at an advantage, as the Orchid had turned away from him, and he was now approaching her from behind. He moved slightly faster than he normally would to approach a female, but it paid off as he arrived slightly before the other males, who froze as he came into the Orchid’s proximity.

“The last one said he was hoping for a stimulating conversation that might lead to dinner. Are you also here for the repartee?” Her voice was smooth and silky, matching the petals on her forelegs.

“Not at all, I came for your body.” Standing slightly taller than her, he leaned in over her, drinking in her pheromones.

“Oh, did you? Aren’t you going to buy me dinner first? I’m famished.”

“No, we’re leaving now. My place or yours?”

“Oooh, decisive and tall. My place will be fine.” She swished toward the door without even looking back.

He followed, walking through a gallery of glares and envious stares.

-

He lay on his back, gulping air into his tracheae, catching his breath.

“You’re amazing. That was like-I can’t even describe it.”

She was already at her dressing table, fixing her antennae, smiling slightly.

“I’m glad you enjoyed. You could be pretty good yourself, with practice.”

“Oh really, with practice? Who will I practice with?”

“That depends, you could practice with that Ghost at the bar. She seemed to like you.”

“Ugh. She was hideous. You’re much more my type. Beautiful and sensual and…exciting. What’s your name?”

She looked back at him, her head cocked.

“You’re in great shape, how do you stay so strong? It’s been impossible to find food since the civil war started.”

“I’m in the Mantid Red Legion. They feed us well.”

She tilted her head the other way.

“What unit?”

“Iron Scythe Division.”

“Rank?”

“Commantis.”

“I see.” Her gaze lingered on him.

“Is that going to be a problem?” He sat up and turned, feeling self-conscious.

“Of course not. You fight to protect the Great Nest. Nothing could be more honorable.”

He relaxed visibly, his prothorax sagging as he exhaled. She slipped up behind him and stroked the scar on the back of his left wing.

“Where did you get this?”

“A sortie against the Mantid Liberation Front. I was leading a squad into action when we were ambushed by the whispering death.”

She sighed and gripped his foreleg.

“I heard the echolocation only seconds before they hit us. I turned right instead of left. One tagged me and I went down. The rest of my squad was gone in 30 seconds.”

She turned him and pushed him back onto the bed, gently but firmly. She climbed on top of him, her white and pink plumage expanding.

“I know what will help you forget that.”

He clicked his mandible and smiled, pulling her close, her abdomen tight to his, pressing their exoskeletons together rhythmically. He closed his eyes, gripping her forelegs, his dorsal vessel pumping frantically with the exertion and excitement. She lowered her head next to his and whispered.

“I’ll name one of the children after you.”

He laughed and kept grinding himself into her.

“Children? Don’t you think things are moving a little quickly? I don’t even know your name.”

She raised her head as she increased in tempo, pseudopupils fixed on him.

“My name is Preya.”

In the throes of his own ecstasy, she had almost completely severed his head from his prothorax before he realized what was happening, and he was helpless to stop it. Clear hemolymph oozed onto the sheets and soaked into the mattress. His last thought was a final admiration of her gorgeous camouflage patterns.

She rolled off of him and lay on the bed. Reaching over, she broke off a foreleg and began to munch. She smirked slightly and addressed the severed head.

“You should have bought me dinner.”