The Grecian Island of Icaria was a picturesque backdrop of mountainside homes, clear blue ocean, and landscape that mixed palettes between lush trees and mountainous terrain. Mari took a break from her hike and scanned the coastline, breathing in the fresh air and scent of saltwater. It felt good to be so far away from work, drama, and everything in between. Each passing moment brought more relief and drew away from the stress of the daily grind.
With newfound energy, Mari’s hike continued deeper into a forested grove. Light filtered through the canopy in tiny rays, bouncing off of Mari’s pulled-back blonde hair and drawing patterns on her ivory skin. She tipped her water bottle to her lips expectantly, then turned it upside down. It was empty.
“Well, that didn’t last very long,” she murmured.
She hadn’t been great with her water intake as it was, so she hadn’t expected to need more than one bottle to last her the hike. She’d made good headway from the start and feared dehydration, so she wandered from the path while listening for the sound of moving water. Stepping over branches and weaving her way through the trees, the sounds of creatures moving underfoot, and the calling of birds accompanied her on her wayward journey. Her thoughts drifted in the lull of sounds and sensations until at last, she heard the gurgle of a nearby stream.
“Ah, there we are!”
Mari jogged towards the sound; mouth parched from the walk. A narrow flow of water broke the rocky ground, bubbling around petite green plants and falling over stones. She took the opportunity to splash some of the clear, cool water on her face, drank from her palms, then refilled her water bottle to the brim.
“That’s better,” she sighed, standing to look around. “…Which way was the path?”
Mari scolded herself. Getting “lost in the woods” was a lesson hammered home since childhood. Hansel and Gretel used breadcrumbs, Red Riding Hood maintained a consistent travel path, and what had Mari done? Nothing. The trees surrounding her looked the same. The ground remained unmarked, betraying no clues of where she’d come from. It’d do no good to stand still, the hiking trail couldn’t be that far. She picked a direction and walked.
The sun was past its center—it was after noon. No need to panic, she had plenty of sunlight left to navigate. She tried to remember the coastal view, how certain trees were placed and rocks jutted from the ground. She started marking the trunks of trees with an X and never came back to one twice. An hour passed, and she still hadn’t found the trail. She took her cellphone from her back pocket and checked for bars—no signal. She tried turning on the GPS—once again, no signal.
“Just had to go on this one alone, didn’t you?” she asked the rhetoric. “Couldn’t find a hiking partner, Mari?”
“Allow me to assist you?” a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts and caused Mari to start. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Mari found its source and had trouble masking her surprise. Before her stood a tall, lithe woman with long dark hair and eyes. Her lips were painted a ruby red and she was dressed in a sheer fabric that outlined her ample curves in the breeze and did little to hide the vulnerable parts of her body. A pair of simple sandals adorned her feet, wrapping in symmetrical x’s up her calves.
“I…is that your normal hiking get-up?” Mari asked, unsure of what else to say.
“Mmm?” The woman followed Mari’s gaze and laughed, her voice low and smooth and lovely. “Ah, my attire. I live here, so, I suppose you could say this is…normal for me.”
For a moment, Mari wondered if she should run. A crazy hermit woman in an unfamiliar forest did not bode well. But, she looked a far cry from the homeless she’d seen back home; disheveled and screaming at things unseen. Her hair was clean and adorned with an intricate crown of intertwined, golden leaves. Her skin was smooth and clear of any cuts or blemishes, and her intelligent eyes took measure of Mari, devoid of the tinges of madness.
“You know where we are?” Mari asked.
“Icaria, of course,” she laughed at her own joke. “Come, I’ll set you back on due course.”
Mari grimaced but followed as she was losing daylight and afraid to be trapped out in the forest alone in the darkness.
“So, Mari, is it?” the woman asked after a few minutes of thick silence.
“Yes, I’m…not from here,” Mari admitted.
“I know. You appear very…” she paused, searching for a word before settling, “Exotic.”
“Thank you, I think,” Mari squinted to keep sight of her.
“I’m Circe,” came the reply.
“Like the goddess?” The Odyssey was mandatory reading in high school. Mari remembered extraordinarily little, but the name struck a chord.
Circe chuckled. “Yes, like the goddess.”
After another period of long silence, they reached a dilapidated temple. Tall columns lay at various angles at its front and back; cracked and mangled. Rebellious signs of life grew through the marble, sprouting diminutive flowers in the direction of the sunlight.
“What is this?” Mari stopped, eyes flickering between Circe and the building.
“Come, you must be thirsty,” Circe beckoned.
“Can we please just find the trail?” Mari shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.
“I promise, you will return safely. It’s been a long time since I’ve had company. Just a quick refreshment and I’ll show you the way back.” Circe’s honeyed tone and kind features were difficult to argue with.
“…All right.”
Mari followed her inside the, somehow, still-standing temple door. Inside, the roof had managed to hold save a few cracks in the corners. It was dark save for a handful of the sun’s rays lighting the floor. Circe snapped her fingers and a string of torches on each wall flared to life, illuminating a furnished, carpeted room with lush fabrics and ancient-looking décor.
Haven’t seen that trick before, Mari thought to herself, afraid to draw attention to it. “Is this a museum?”
“Something like that.” Circe moved to a table that held a decanter of blood-red liquid and two goblets. She poured generous amounts into each cup and handed one to Mari. “Some wine?”
“Sure,” Mari decided to play along. She took a sip…then another…and a third. It was the most luxurious tasting thing to ever touch her tongue. “What is this?”
“An old family recipe,” Circe mused. She took a deep draw from her goblet and motioned for Mari to be seated upon a pile of cushions.
Mari complied and took another drink. The alcohol was strong and warmed her veins but hidden within its enchanting flavor. In the span of a few heartbeats, she’d nearly drained her goblet. Circe was already there to refill it as if she’d been waiting.
“Now, let’s have a little fun,” Circe murmured, kneeling before Mari.
“Hmm?” Mari felt her reactions slowing. A dozen red flags signaled in the back of her mind, and she couldn’t heed a single one.
Circe gently pried the goblet from Mari’s hands and leaned in, her lips a hair’s breadth from her throat. Mari could feel the heat of her breath against her skin and shivered.
“I’m not…I don’t think…” Mari objected.
Circe ignored her, running her fingers of both hands along Mari’s collar bone, sliding them south to her chest. Soft lips stroked her throat and dexterous fingers kneaded her breasts. A moan escaped Mari’s lips, before a sensation unlike any she’d ever felt before consumed her body. The familiar weight of her chest was getting heavier. She glanced down and pulled back from Circe with a surprised cry.
“What the hell?” Her breasts were swelling at an alarming rate. They warred against the fabric of her shirt and threatened to burst the seams.
“Don’t most women pay to look like this?” Circe teased. “This is just the beginning.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Mari asked, fighting the dizziness that had onset with the wine. “What are you…what is this?”
Circe crawled closer to Mari, pinning the young woman to the cushions. “Relax,” she purred.
Before Mari could protest again, Circe traced the side seams of Mari’s shirt and they parted as if she’d cut them with a knife. She pulled the fabric away, revealing Mari’s cleavage bursting in the cups of her bra.
“What…I…” Mari couldn’t find the words and a new feeling quieted her fear: pleasure. “I…”
“Shhh.” Circe moved her fingers again and Mari’s bra met the same fate as her shirt. She returned her attention to Mari’s still-swelling breasts, massaging them with skill; urging their continued growth.
Mari’s tension melted in her limbs, and her head rolled back against the cushions. Every inch of skin on her enlarged breasts was acutely sensitive and vulnerable to Circe’s touch. Her back arched and her blood rushed to her chest and between her thighs.
“That’s a good pet,” Circe coaxed. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Yes.” Mari barely recognized her own voice.
“Do you still want me to stop?”
“No…”
Mari’s breasts had grown to the size of basketballs, and Circe continued to mold and ply at her skin. The weight was suffocating, but pleasure won out against breathing. Without warning, Circe’s mouth enveloped a stretched nipple, her tongue lapping and pulling against the hardened bud.
“Mmmm…you’re delicious, pet,” Circe muttered against her flesh.
Mari realized she was lactating. White fluid dripped freely from her unattended nipple, and the tension between her legs was at its peak. She writhed against Circe’s machinations, thighs rubbing together in a struggle for release. With Circe’s coaxing tongue, Mari didn’t have to wait long. She cried out with orgasm, powerful convulsions begging for insertion.
“Did you climax already?” Circe chided. “But we’re just getting started.”
Mari moaned as Circe took her by the hips and flipped her to her stomach as if handling a stuffed doll rather than a person.
“You…you really are Circe…aren’t you?” Mari said, panting.
“Now, what would give you that idea?” Circe laughed.
Mari found it easier to breathe, but still sought the pleasure Circe had imprinted upon her. She rubbed her breasts against the soft cushions beneath her, sighing with every brush of plush fabric against her skin.
“Don’t destroy my pillows, pet,” Circe ridiculed. “At this rate, you’ll soak them all.”
Mari’s face burned in humiliation, but she couldn’t seem to stop thrusting her upper body against them. It felt so goddamn good.
Circe sighed and cut away her shorts and panties, tossing them to the side on the ever-growing pile of fabric.
“You are an insatiable little beast, aren’t you?” Circe spread Mari’s thighs and inspected her like an animal.
Mari gasped; her exposed backside high in the air while her chest was buried in the pillows. Evidence of her pleasure flowed down her legs and Circe traced it to the source with two fingers. Mari’s breath caught in the back of her throat with Circe’s penetration, and her hips moved with a mind of their own. Circe used her free hand to trace the graceful curve of Mari’s back.
“Hmm,” Circe hummed, as if bored. “I think we’re missing something.”
When her fingers reached Mari’s tailbone, she lifted away and drew a line in the air. A thin limb beginning at the end of Mari’s spine followed Circe’s hand. At its end, it sprouted a tuft of fur, the remainder covered in short, black and white hair.
“Here we are.” Circe stroked Mari’s new tail and brushed the end against her cheek.
The addition was just as sensitive as her breasts. With the pulses of Circe’s fingers, the brush of plush fabric consuming her chest, and the grip on her tail, Mari climaxed again.
“Again? Filthy little pet,” Circe berated, adding a third finger to the rotation.
Mari shook with lust. She felt like she could orgasm a hundred more times and not find satisfaction. Her tail quivered in Circe’s clutches as a sharp jolt traveled from the goddess’s hand to her ears. A foreign warmth descended from the tips of her cartilage to the bottom of her lobes and continued to descend past her jawline. It was the same sensation she’d had with the growth of her tail. Circe’s giggles were louder, more concentrated. A weight heavier than Mari’s blonde hair fell to either side of her throat, and velvety fur stroked against the skin. Despite Circe’s continued machinations, she raised a hand to her head and found…animal ears. Long, flat, dual-sided ears with fur on one side and bare skin on the other. Her own moans and breathing were deafening, the obscene, wet sounds of Circe’s fingers thrusting in and out of her sounded much closer than they were.
At two equidistant points on her forehead, another growth. This time, hardened lengths of—what felt like—wood, formed half circles above her. Her hand drifted from ears to horns, and she wondered if the carnal groans that tore from her throat were hers or that of the beast.
“Ever closer, Mari. I’m sure any bull would love to have his way with you now,” Circe taunted. “Lucky for us it’s just me, hmm?”
“I…agh…I—” Mari’s tongue felt heavy and useless. Drool and lactated milk drenched the pillows beneath her. Her horns scraped the stone floor between two of the cushions. The vibrations of the impact echoed in her clenched teeth and she gasped.
“Still more to go, Mari,” Circe stroked her tail as one would a beloved animal.
“Moo…more?” Mari managed. She couldn’t imagine more. This was already too much. Not enough. Gods, what was it? She touched her ears, her breast; reached behind her to confirm the existence of her tail.
Circe swatted away her exploring hand and added another finger to Mari’s depths. Mari moaned and twisted against the fabric, hips bearing down on Circe’s hand. She felt so full she thought she would burst.
“Still too curious for my liking.” Circe clicked her tongue.
Mari’s grip faltered and her fingers drifted towards each other like magnets. She searched for purchase in the fabric but found her efforts futile. Each hand repositioned itself flat against the pillows before the skin molded and grafted together, reshaping into a cloven, solid mass. Hooves. Her enlarged breasts continued to weigh her down and she stamped against the stone floor in frustration.
“Displeased? So ungrateful. After all I’ve done for you, too.” Circe yanked on her tail and Mari cried out.
“No...I…” Mari could feel another climax mounting as Circe relentlessly massaged her g-spot. “I…” Her voice pitched up, her thighs tightened, and release washed over her once more.
“Is there an orifice in you that isn’t soaking? How does it feel?”
“In…credible…Please…don’t stop…” Mari gasped for air. “Please…”
“Mmm, and so we go deeper,” Circe replied.
Patches of black and white fur surfaced on Mari’s back, arms, and legs. Skin intermixed with a familiar, bovine pelt that seemed to appear randomly throughout her body. It was as if every time she orgasmed, she lost more of her humanity. The realization that it was exactly what Circe was doing struck Mari far too late.
Another dual weight dragged from Mari’s upper abdomen, immediately below her augmented breasts. As they grew, Mari experienced the same pleasure that she had from the first set—another pair of nipples stretched against the skin and dripped with milk. Her fervor intensified; she ground her chest against the pillows, hips reacting in time to Circe’s thrusts. She thrashed her head, horns grazing the stone; beat her hooves against the floor. A chain of climaxes began so suddenly her body had hardly tensed in response, and her salacious outcries echoed against the chamber’s walls. There wasn’t a shred of logic that remained, only need. She needed more. She needed Circe. She didn’t care what that meant in the end. She’d never experienced such a profound sexual pleasure in all her life.
“Now, you are complete,” Circe laughed. “An utter…mess.”
Mari squirmed and struggled, every apex both agonizing and electrifying. Her nose grew and flattened against her face—more black and white patches appeared on her upper thighs, her forearms, and her throat. Would it ever end? Did she want it to?
“I wonder if you’ll ever want to leave,” Circe mused. “Most who come here don’t.”
Mari wanted to reply, but what slipped her lips were a series of groans both human and animal.
“You’re an excellent pet.”
Mari didn’t remember blacking out.
When she awoke, Mari found herself inside her hotel room, cocooned in every blanket available on the bed. Her very normal hands clutched the sheets to her chest—which fit perfectly inside of her shirt. Her furless body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and she could hear the ocean at a regular distance without the amplification of an animal’s ears.
“It…was a dream?” she asked aloud, eyes adjusting to the dark room in confusion. The moon washed through the window and added its alabaster sheen to the palette of the night.
Mari felt her forehead, then her shoulders. She shook herself free from the covers and went to pour herself a drink of water. She’d been hiking. Her hiking boots were by the door. How had she gotten back? Her phone lay innocently attached to the charger, and her belongings were exactly where she’d remembered last seeing them that morning.
She downed her refreshment, noting how parched and dry her mouth was. What a nightmare.
As she made her way back to bed, a curious material brushed against the back of her thigh. Reaching around her hips, her heart skipped a beat.
A black and white, spotted tail hung down to her ankles, ending in a blonde tuft of hair that matched her head.
Circe’s laughter echoed in her ears.
