King For More Than A Day
by Oliver

Leo rested contentedly in the Funhouse safari park, sharing a patch of shade with Elsa, Nala and Sarafina. (His mane was so long and thick it acted like a kind of pillow, which added to his pleasure.) He didn't care for his new name as much as Circe obviously did, but knew better than to try and change her mind. Besides, he reasoned, why rock the boat, when he was happier now than ever before?

Not for the first time, Leo thought back to the five magical minutes he'd spent in front of Circe's full-length mirror. Whether or not he lived to be a hundred -- she'd told him it was a distinct possibility -- one thing was certain: the memories of his metamorphosis weren't going anywhere (and neither was he).

It had started, of course, the moment she persuaded him to splash a sweet-smelling drop of 'Aeaea brand hair tonic' onto his threadbare scalp. (How could he say no to the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen?) He felt a warm tingling sensation -- far from unpleasant, but certainly unusual -- then noticed that his hair was growing longer and thicker right before his astonished eyes. His astonished *amber* eyes! Next, orange-brown hair began sprouting profusely from the sides of his face, quickly merging with his shaggy, still-growing coiffure. He gasped at his reflection, mouth opening to reveal fearsome fangs. He brought his hands up to his face -- and gasped again! His fingers were shorter, the nails long and pointed, claw-like.

"I'm especially proud of that formulation," said Circe. "One drop is all it takes to guarantee a full and manly head of hair...for life."

He could feel the hair on his chest and stomach, as well as his pubic hair, grow and thicken at an incredible rate. As a tail began to form at the base of his spine (a tail?!), his trousers felt increasingly tight. His T-shirt too -- he was *growing*! His ears, now higher up his head than they had been, were almost hidden by a thick, dark mane. It completely covered his shoulders and would soon run from crown to crotch, the kind possessed only by the strongest and most virile alpha males. Whiskers emerged from his skin, following in the wake of countless tawny hairs. He felt -- and saw -- his skull expand, face stretching outwards into a muzzle, yet somehow, miraculously, his voice remained human (albeit much deeper).

"WH-WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!"

Circe giggled. "You know what, Leo? Statistically that's the most common thing my new pets say!" For all the mirth in her voice, there wasn't a hint of malice. "I'd have thought the answer was as plain as the broad, flat nose on your face. You're turning into a lion. *I'm* turning you into a lion -- a Barbary, to be precise."

"No, NO! It's impossible!"

"Of course it's impossible, dear. If it were possible it wouldn't be magic, would it? That's the *second* most common thing my pets say, by the way."

"No, PLEASE! STOP IT!! PLEASE!!!" He was now too freaked out to notice that his trousers and underpants had torn open, exposing a long, tufted tail. He couldn't recognize his own face anymore!

"Calm down, Leo. I don't enjoy watching men squeal and squirm in horror, you know. I -- well, all right, so perhaps I do, a teeny-tiny bit. But surely a few minutes' distress is a small price to pay? You're going to have the most wonderful time living in my safari park. Did you know, my pet, that lions partake in the pleasures of the flesh some *seventy-five* times a day?"

That certainly got his attention! Circe smiled as the fear on his face started to fade. Transforming Leo had been a lot of fun, but she would take even greater delight in hearing him admit -- as all her pets did, sooner or later -- just how much he preferred his animal form. To that end, her spell was combining his human consciousness with the instincts and desires of an adult male lion. Leo had met his maker -- his *re*-maker -- soon it would be time for him to meet his mates...

Seventy-five times a day! Try as he might, he just couldn't stop thinking about it -- and the more he did, the better he – and the transformation – felt. On top of that, suddenly the thought of living the rest of his life without having to worry about money or work or possessions, or even clothes, seemed irresistible; so enthralled was he with the whole idea of being a lion that he lost all interest in his struggle to balance on elongated, digitigrade feet. Holding out his arms, he leant forward and fell heavily (but harmlessly) onto powerful paws. The jolt on hitting the floor proved too much for what was left of his clothing (already stretched and shredded), but nudity now seemed entirely comfortable, as did standing on all fours.

He watched with flabbergasted fascination as his body continued to grow and change: short, tawny hairs spreading across the few remaining patches of human flesh… the mane along his stomach turning thicker and longer… his tail reaching its full lashing length. Before long, no trace remained of his former self, not a single molecule: the transformation was complete. Staring back at him from the mirror was five hundred and fifty pounds of Barbary lion, by far the biggest, hairiest and most ferocious-looking feline imaginable, yet Leo felt at ease -- *happy*, even! It was like he was stoned or something, though his thoughts were still perfectly lucid. How long, he wondered to himself, would this strange euphoria last?

"Forever, my dear pet."

Evidently, Circe's power to transform extended to her own attire: apart from a golden tiara, all she wore now was a delicate girdle, from which hung a shimmering length of diaphanous silk. Her breasts, ample and immaculate, were gorgeous; Leo only had eyes for the trio of lionesses that had entered the room, however!

Given the enchanted events of the past few minutes, he wasn't too surprised when the largest lioness started talking. "Hello handsome – rrowwr!" Her voice was young and vivacious, as appealing as the rest of her, and her growl more of a human-sounding, sensual purr. "I'm Elsa, and these here -- wow, that mane of yours is REAL sexy, you know that Leo? -- are my half-sisters, Nala and Sarafina." The twins, no less lovely, greeted him with great, toothy grins.

"H-Hi," he stammered, bewitched by beauty for the second time that day. (And they *smelt* beautiful, too!) "N-Nice to meet you. Um, but my name's not Leo. It's O-"

Purring loudly, Elsa suddenly began licking and nuzzling his face. Nala and Sarafina quickly joined in, applying their tongues to opposite sides of his body, passionately homing in on his hindquarters. The lionesses knew it was rude to be so forward, but the fever that consumed them had to be quenched. They could talk later, spend their whole lives getting to know this magnificent male -- so why not have some fun right now?!

"O-Oh...OH...AHH...AHHHROOAAARRRR!!!"

"Let's go outside sweetheart," purred Elsa. (She'd always had a very particular place in mind for this occasion, a cool and shady spot alongside a gently flowing waterfall.) Leo sure liked the sound of that. Under a barrage of lascivious licking, showered with unrelenting affection, he gave in to his growing desire; what the heck was he doing in this cramped little concrete box anyway?! His tail swung from side to side in anticipation, and rather than just say yes (boring!), he joyously wooed the three females with another mighty, macho roar and a shake of his lush mane. Elsa reciprocated by turning around and lovingly sweeping her tail across his muzzle just under his nose. Her dusky scent filled his nostrils and (exactly as Elsa hoped) he felt the lust with which his body was aching grow even stronger. He looked up to see the lioness give him a very human wink. "Follow me, lover boy!"

Circe hadn't seen a lion run as fast as Leo did just then for quite a while. Another day, another *very* satisfied customer.

The End