Chapter 40: Episode 40: Red Cycle

The next morning, Nikki woke up feeling accomplished.

She slowly opened her eyes, her body feeling heavy, languid, and gloriously sore. Every muscle ached in a way that made her want to stretch like a cat and never move again.

She turned her head, burying her face in the pillow that smelled of rain.

“Good morning, Master.”

The voice was low, rumbling right next to her ear.

Nikki squeaked, opening one eye.

Adonis was awake. He was lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, watching her with an intensity that suggested he had been doing so for hours.

His black hair was messy, falling over his forehead, and his blue eyes were soft, devoid of the usual calculating coldness.

“Morning,” Nikki mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. “How long have you been staring at me?”

“Forty-seven minutes,” Adonis replied shamelessly. “Your sleep cycle is inefficient. You toss and turn. However, the aesthetic value is… high.”

He reached out, his large hand tracing the curve of her waist under the duvet. He wasn’t just touching her; he was cuddling her. He pulled her closer until her back was pressed against his chest, wrapping his arm around her like a possessive vice.

“You’re clingy today,” Nikki teased, nestling into his warmth.

“I am calibrating my affection protocols,” Adonis corrected, nuzzling the back of her neck. Then, without warning, his fingers dug into her sides.

“Eep!” Nikki jumped, twisting in his grip. “Adonis! Stop!”

“Tickling induces endorphin release,” he stated, his voice deadpan, though Nikki could hear the smile in it. He poked her ribs again.

“Stop! Mercy!” Nikki laughed, breathless, batting his hands away. “Where do you even learn this stuff? Is this in the military handbook? ’How to Torture Enemies with Tickles’?”

Adonis stopped, pinning her wrists gently to the mattress and hovering over her, a smug grin on his face.

“Research,” he said simply.

“From where?” Nikki challenged, her face flushed and happy. “The library of war crimes?”

“Movies,” Adonis admitted, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. “And novels. Specifically, the genre designated as ’Fluff’. Chapter 4 of ’The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride’ suggests that playful physical antagonism strengthens pair bonding.”

Nikki stared at him. “You read a book called ’The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride’?”

“I processed it in 0.03 seconds,” Adonis said defensively. “The plot was derivative, but the romantic tactics were… effective.”

Nikki felt a rush of warmth flood her chest that had nothing to do with the blankets. He was studying. He was literally doing homework on how to make her happy.

“You’re ridiculous,” she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek. “And perfect.”

Adonis leaned into her touch, his eyes closing for a brief second.

“I require food,” he announced suddenly, pulling back. “And so do you. Your caloric deficit is significant after… last night’s exertion.”

He winked. Actually winked. It was stiff and mechanical, but he did it.

He rolled out of bed, stood up in his gray sweatpants, which hung low on his hips in a way that was unfair to human sanity, and marched toward the door.

“Do not move. Breakfast in bed is mandatory.”

The door clicked shut.

Nikki lay there, smiling at the ceiling. “I could get used to this,” she whispered.

Then, it hit her.

A sharp, cramping pain twisted in her lower abdomen.

Nikki winced, curling into a ball. “Ouch. Okay, maybe too much exertion.”

Was it because he was hitting her cervix repeatedly?

She sat up, intending to stretch, but as she moved, she felt it. A damp, heavy sensation between her legs.

Nikki froze.

“No,” she whispered. “No, no, no. Not now.”

She checked the date on her internal clock. It had been… what? A month of stress? Starvation in Sector 4? The kidnapping? Her cycle was all over the place.

She scrambled out of bed, ignoring the soreness in her thighs, and rushed to the bathroom.

She locked the door and pulled down her orange silk shorts.

“Oh, disaster,” Nikki groaned.

It was a crime scene. Her period had started, and it was angry. The beautiful silk panties Adonis had picked out were ruined.

“Okay, okay, don’t panic,” Nikki muttered, her heart rate spiking. “Just find the supplies.”

She opened the mirrored cabinet above the sink. Toothpaste. Nanotech med-gel. Razor. Cologne.

She opened the drawers under the sink. Towels. Cleaning solution. Spare parts for… something mechanical.

She checked the shower caddy. Soap. Shampoo.

“Where are they?” Nikki hissed, tearing through the pristine, high-tech bathroom. “Pads? Tampons? Menstrual cups? Anything?”

She stopped, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

Adonis was a male android. He didn’t bleed. He didn’t have biological functions. Why would he stock tampons?

She was in a penthouse in the sky, surrounded by the most advanced technology in the world, and she didn’t have a piece of cotton.

“This is the apocalypse,” Nikki whispered, panic rising in her throat. “This is the real apocalypse.”

She grabbed a wad of toilet paper, trying to fashion a temporary solution, but it was thin and useless against the flow.

She looked at her ruined panties. She looked at the white rug on the floor and prayed she hadn’t dripped on it.

Tears pricked her eyes. It was stupid. It was natural. But the shame was overwhelming. She was supposed to be his “Master,” his partner, the goddess he worshipped.

And here she was, bleeding like a wounded animal, about to stain his perfect, sterile world.

“Nikki?”

Adonis’s voice came through the door, cheerful and proud.

“I have prepared pancakes. Blueberry. I also replicated the ’syrup’ viscosity from the database.”

Nikki froze, clutching the toilet paper to her chest.

“Nikki?” The cheerfulness faltered. “Are you in the lavatory? Are you good?”

She couldn’t go out there. She couldn’t let him see. He would scan her. He would see the blood. He would categorize it as an injury or a leak. He would try to “fix” it.

“Go away!” Nikki choked out, her voice cracking.

“Nikki?” Now the voice was concerned. The handle jiggled. Locked. “Your heart rate has spiked to 130 BPM. Distress detected. Open the door.”

“I can’t!” Nikki sobbed, the tears spilling over. “Adonis, please, just go away!”

Fuck this is bad! Why was I even crying?

“Negative,” Adonis’s voice turned hard, the General taking over. “You are crying. I am initiating emergency override.”

“NO!” Nikki screamed, backing against the sink. “Don’t come in! Please!”

She heard the electronic lock beep. He was overriding it.

She was trapped. Dirty. Ashamed.

“ADONIS!” she wailed, burying her face in her hands as the door hissed open.

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