The Human Ranch: The Complete Series

by S. L. Hadley

  ***

  When Katie awoke, the first thing she noticed was that everything south of her ribs ached like she’d been struck by a car.

  The next was that she was no longer alone.

  An arm, slender and tattooed, lay across her side. The woman it belonged to lay behind her, breasts soft and warm against her shoulder blades.

  “Zoey!” Katie whispered, rising and twisting to prop herself up on an elbow. The motion made her wince. “Why are you--?”

  “Shhh,” Zoey whispered, opening her eyes. Her arm tugged at Katie’s shoulder and guided her back down onto the mattress. “You’ll wake the others.”

  “The others?” Katie said without thinking. She turned, and froze.

  Inches away, Amber slumbered against Katie’s hip. Her face was tense and twisted as if by a nightmare but she did not stir. Against the opposite wall, on a second, newly arrived mattress, Carli-with-an-I slept with her back turned.

  Inhaling deeply, Katie rolled to face the opposite direction. She was careful to mask her wince and to avoid disturbing Amber’s rest and so the movement took several times longer than normal. By the time she’d accomplished it, Zoey was propped up on an elbow as well. They met one another’s eyes, lying so close together they may as well have spent the last hour tangled up in ecstasy.

  It reminded Katie of a slumber party from her childhood, although she’d never been quite so naked at one before.

  “Did… did they…” Katie whispered, chest growing tight. “Do anything to you?”

  Zoey dropped her gaze for an instant and said nothing. But the response was as telling as words would have been.

  “I am so sorry,” Katie said. She felt tears beginning to well up at the corners of her eyes. “I… I never meant—”

  Zoey shushed her again. This time, however, she pressed a finger to Katie’s lips.

  “Don’t fret,” she murmured. “It wasn’t your fault, Katie. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “But, I… if I had just….”

  Zoey shushed her a third time. This time, rather than a finger, she pressed her lips to Katie’s in a soft, reassuring kiss that shocked the tears from her. Katie’s chest tightened further, but not from grief.

  “I have a question,” Zoey said, as their lips parted. Hers curled into a conspiratorial smile.

  “Yeah?”

  Zoey chuckled under her breath and, though it was difficult to see in the near-darkness, went red.

  “When they… you know, put it inside you? Did it feel, like—“

  “Way better than it should have?” Katie finished for her.

  Zoey laughed outright and, fearing the sound would wake Amber, Katie leaned in and silenced her with another kiss. For a few seconds, they remained like that, lost in each other’s arms and lips. Anything to keep the fear and future at bay a moment longer.

  “Does this mean we’re going to have, like… alien babies?”

  In a flash, Katie suddenly remembered that she was the only one of the girls able to communicate with the Ambassadors. She blew out a breath, shaking her head and smiling at the look of relief that appeared on Zoey’s face.

  “No,” she assured her. “It’s just supposed to make us super horny or something.”

  “Hell!” Zoey laughed. “Could’ve just given me some tequila!”

  “Right?”

  “But, you know…” Zoey’s voice grew so quiet that Katie felt the warmth of her breath rather than the words themselves. At the same time, one of the woman’s arms slipped between their bodies, starting between their breasts and trailing hesitantly downward. “I’m pretty sure it’s working.”

  Katie’s breath caught in her lungs. She trembled softly, shutting her eyes and pressing her brow against Zoey’s. A heat kindled gently in her belly, tingling and spreading throughout her body. She could feel the woman’s fingers as they slipped past her navel. They felt more real than the mattress beneath her. Hell, they felt more real than her own fingers.

  As Zoey’s fingers reached their destination, Katie let out a shuddering breath. She hiked her leg a few degrees, blushing.

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “I’m pretty sure it’s working, too.”

  Conquered

  The Human Ranch

  Volume Three

  By S. L. Hadley

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  Katie arched her back, stifling a groan as Zoey’s fingers danced between her thighs. The woman had all the precision of an expert pianist, drawing forth a symphony of gasps and delighted shudders with the gentle motion.

  The ache within her grew stronger. Soon, Katie no longer cared about who might overhear. She let out a whimpering cry, her own fingers clutching desperately at Zoey’s elbow. Part of her knew she was not behaving like herself and ought to push the woman away. But another, far stronger part of her wanted nothing more than to pull the woman’s hand more forcefully against her body.

  As it was, she did nothing. Or, at least, nothing deliberate. Her hips rose on their own, pressing urgently against Zoey’s hand and grinding her stubble-covered mound against the woman’s palm.

  The boiling-hot pressure at the center of Katie’s hips grew and grew—and overflowed. Moaning, Katie buried her face between Zoey’s breasts as she came. The soft, yielding flesh caressed her cheeks as she quivered in ecstasy.

  “There you go,” Zoey murmured, voice husky in Katie’s ear. “Guess you liked that, huh?”

  Panting against the woman’s breast, Katie didn’t answer. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to regain her equilibrium. It took a moment. A part of her still couldn’t believe what she’d just done. For years, she’d been perfectly, contentedly straight. As far as she could remember, she’d never even thought about kissing a girl. And now, she’d climaxed against one’s fingers.

  Just as her breathing began to slow, Katie felt the stiff brush of a nipple graze her cheek. The corner of her mouth curled up in an impish smile.

  Oh, what the hell.

  She struck—closing her lips around Zoey’s nipple and suckling hard. The woman yelped in surprise, then laughed and made a show of prying herself free of Katie’s mouth.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Zoey said, grinning.

  “God, would you two just shut up?” growled a voice from the opposite side of the room.

  Katie rolled to face her, blushing. Carli-with-an-I still lay on her side, back turned. She looked every bit the sleeper but from her tone it was obvious she’d been listening for quite some time.

  As had Amber, it seemed. Curled up at the foot of Katie’s bed like a dog, she flinched almost imperceptibly as Katie’s gaze reached her.

  “Sorry,” Amber whispered, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. “I—I didn’t mean to listen. But….”

  Katie lay still, too overwhelmed by the situation and conflicting emotion to find her bearings. Who could blame her? She’d been abducted, implanted with some sort of alien hormone-generator, and driven to climax while surrounded by girls she’d only just met. Even with her thoughts still clouded by lust, it was enough to make her want to break down and sob from mental exhaustion.

  Fortunately, Zoey saved the day. As if reading Katie’s mind, she wrapped a slender, tattooed arm around her shoulders and drew her gently back against her. The warmth and softness of her breasts were strangely reassuring and yet distracting enough for Katie to let out the shaky, nervous breath she’d been holding in.

  “It’s fine, Kay,” Zoey murmured, kissing her shoulder. “Just relax.”

  Then, lifting her head a bit, Zoey laughed.

  “Amber, the bed’s plenty big enough. Why don’t you get on up here?”

  Amber flinched again and started to protest, then fell silent. After a moment, she crawled silently toward them and, face burning with embarrassment, nestled against Katie’s chest. The three of them lay there for a time, gradually growing used to one another’s embrace.<
br />
  “Carli?” Zoey called out, something hard entering her voice as she said it. The girl made no reply but Zoey answered her anyway. “Eat a dick.”

  The insult hung in the air, lingering and echoing in Katie’s ears like the aftereffects of nearby thunder. Then, without even meaning to, she began to giggle. There was no reason for it and no possible justification. It just burst out of her as though she’d been holding it in for ages. As soon as it did, she clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet herself but the fit swelled and continued, unabated. Soon, the others joined in. Amber buried her face against the mattress in time while Zoey’s arm tightened around Katie’s side.

  “It wasn’t that funny,” Zoey sighed. “I mean, damn—you two need to get laid already.”

  Katie felt the woman’s fingers brushing softly against her ribs. She reached up gently and intertwined her own among them.

  “Thought we were working on that,” Katie whispered.

  Zoey chuckled again and kissed the nape of her neck. The contact was affection but made her shudder nevertheless and heated her cheeks and ears.

  “That’s true,” she murmured. “But, God, I could use a good dick right now. No offense. You know what I mean?”

  Katie did. However much she might try to ignore it, there was an aching sense of emptiness building between her legs. Some could be attributed to the disappearance of Zoey’s fingers, but certainly not all. And no sooner had the woman mentioned it than the heat flared up again and threatened to overflow.

  “Let’s go get some,” Katie said, sitting up. “I know just the place.”

  It took all three of them. Katie was sure that the effort required to pry the room’s door open was about to wrench her shoulder from its socket, but it cracked open before her body gave out. The hallway beyond was deserted but none of them moved. Katie’s heart raced but, even more than fear, there was a delightful excitement welling up inside her. It was like being a teenager again, sneaking out of the house at night to wander the streets with friends. Only this time, there was a far more desirous end in sight.

  Zoey slipped into the hall first, Amber practically glued to her heels. Katie made to follow them, then hesitated and glanced back into the room—at Carli. The girl still lay on her mattress, unmoving and her back turned.

  “Carli?” she called out, softly. “Are you coming?”

  Carli didn’t answer, except to lift one hand in a rude, wholly dismissive gesture.

  Rolling her eyes, Katie left the girl behind. Zoey and Amber were nearly to the first corner already and she raced after them. The tap of her bare feet across the cool floor should have been barely audible, but in her heightened state, it sounded loud as thunder. Apparently, the others felt the same way since they slowed and waited for her to catch up.

  “She coming?” Zoey whispered.

  Katie shook her head, earning a scoff and a muttered curse.

  “Figures,” Zoey said. “Well, it’s her loss. She better not give us away though.”

  And with that, the three of them set off again. The hallways were mercifully abandoned, but they tiptoed anyway. By now, the path to the collection chamber was familiar. As they rounded the final corner, however, the sight that greeted them stopped them in their tracks.

  Ambassador exited the collection chamber, the large, metal door remaining open behind him, and headed straight for them. His pace was not swift, but his hooved, spider-like legs carried him at a swift trot by human standards. Fortunately, it did not appear he’d noticed them; his head was bowed and he studied a flat piece of technology carried in one of his many tentacles.

  It was Katie who reacted first, grabbing the other two women and yanking them quickly back around the bend.

  “Hide!” she whispered urgently.

  Her words were enough to spur them to action, for what it was worth. The hallway was mostly featureless, without alcoves or anything that might shield them from view. What it did have was doors. Most were blank sheets of alien metal, without handles or distinguishing marks, but after a few seconds of searching, Amber let out a significant, wordless yelp.

  Katie and Zoey joined her side without being prompted. A sliver, barely wide enough for them cram their fingertips into, had somehow broken the seal to one room. The three of them tugged desperately at it, prying open the heavy weight until they’d managed to create a gap sufficient for them to squeeze through into the darkness beyond. Once inside, they threw themselves at the door and hurriedly forced it back into its original state.

  The effort left them panting, but Katie clapped a hand over her mouth as the telltale click of hooved claws became audible. Next to her, the others did likewise. There they waited, trembling slightly with an irrational fear that couldn’t be named, until the sound faded once again into the distance.

  “Holy shit, that was close,” Zoey exhaled, laughing under her breath. “Almost pissed my pants.”

  Katie grinned, smacking the girl playfully on her bare ass. “Is that right?”

  Amber giggled suddenly and Zoey flashed the girl an appreciative smile that gleamed in the narrow crack of light streaming in from the hallway before sighing and shaking her head. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get this door open again before he comes back.”

  No sooner had they reached for it, however, than a growl ripped through the room’s darkened gloom. Katie spun, and heard rather than saw the others do the same. A pair of glowing, red eyes swam through the darkness, hovering at chest height as they drew ever closer.

  “Run,” Katie hissed.

  This time, the magic of her words was insufficient. The three of them remained frozen, unable to move aside from their nonstop trembling as the eyes drew nearer. Soon, others emerged from the darkness, invisible except for the brilliant, crimson gleaming.

  “What is it?” asked a voice from the darkness. The sound of it startled Katie and she retreated a half-step until her shoulders were flat against the door’s cold steel. The voice was human—or sounded like it, at least—though there was a peculiar rumble to it.

  “Ambassadors?” suggested a different voice. This one, too, was human but possessed a wavering, almost musical tone, like an imagined voice plucked from the breeze.

  “No,” answered a third voice. This one was close, and came unmistakably from the owner of the original pair of red eyes. “Not ambassadors. Others.” It paused, then added in a deeper, raspier growl. “Females.”

  Somehow, in the near-perfect darkness, Zoey found Katie’s hand. Their fingers intertwined and they clung to one another in voiceless terror. Katie fumbled for a moment until she found Amber’s as well and pulled the girl tightly against her. The younger girl’s trembling was violent and her cheeks were wet with tears as she buried her face against Katie’s chest.

  Miraculously, Katie managed to squash her own fear long enough to speak.

  “Don’t hurt us,” she called out, voice cracking only once. “Please.”

  All three pairs of glowing eyes paused in their advance. The two in the back angled suddenly, sharing a look, while the foremost blinked slowly. Their owner gave a gruff, barking laugh.

  “We do not harm females,” it said. “Wasteful. So wasteful.”

  “What do you want?” Zoey demanded. Her fingers tightened around Katie’s so hard it made her knuckles ache. “Who are you?”

  “Too many questions,” growled one of the rearguard. It approached slowly. “Wasteful questions.”

  “No!” barked the closest, voice suddenly harsh. Apparently, it was the leader, for the creature that had spoken ducked its head and retreated without protest. “Necessary. We are not beasts, Ryliss. We are few but we are still the pack!”

  “We are the pack,” the others answered, suitably chastised.

  The eyes drew nearer, until Katie could have reached out and poked them. As the creature passed through the thin band of light peeking in from the outer hallway, she spied a glimpse of what looked to be purplish fur and rippling muscle. Not that she had much time
to inspect it, the creature’s eyes were increasingly difficult to look away from. And, now that they were nearer, she began to notice a few details she’d overlooked at a distance.

  The first was wholly disconcerting. Amid the luminescence of the alien’s eyes, were features unlike any she’d seen before. The pupils themselves were small enough to be almost non-existent, but they were ringed with layer after layer of color. They were all reds, but there were shades so dark they could have passed for black and pinks so pale they were almost white. Staring into them was an almost hypnotic experience and she felt as though she could have pitched forward and tumbled endlessly into their depths. In fact, she might very well have if it hadn’t been for the second detail.

  The alien, unnatural as its eyes were, had the most pleasant aroma she’d smelled in months, perhaps longer. Though something in Ambassador’s daily injections kept most of her sanitary needs at bay, she—and the ship, generally—smelled like a doctor’s office or nothing at all. This alien carried the scent of timber and spices, blended together in a way that reminded her of pleasant, if slightly overpowering cologne.

  Before she knew what she was doing, Katie had unlaced her fingers from Zoey’s and was reaching out with a hand. She brushed the alien’s face, caught off-guard by how soon she reached it, then followed the unmistakable curve of a snout. It stiffened at her touch, but did not otherwise react, even when she reached the eyes and continued on to follow the curve of its jowls.

  “Katie!” Zoey hissed.

  She ignored her, choosing instead to continue her exploration. The texture of the alien’s face was so bizarre she couldn’t help it. Though it had short, bristle-like fur covering the majority of its profile, beneath it the skin was smooth and almost scaly. Bizarre as it sounded in her own mind, the nearest comparison Katie could imagine was if someone had fused a dog with some sort of reptile.