“Why would people build such monstrosities?” Jelani thought to himself as he looked through the window of the apartment his family kept in the city. Concrete as far as the eye could see, relieved only by the corner of Central Park he could just glimpse from his small balcony. Being so separated from the earth, particularly his native soil, for an extended length of time, caused him anxiety. Indeed, it was one of the few weaknesses that afflicted his species, and was the main reason their range didn't extend further than it did. The longer they were separated, the more stressful it became. The condition could be relieved for a short time by reverting to his lion form, and by contact with a more natural environment. Eventually however, the pain would be too much and his irascible nature would come to the fore; all the more reason to keep this trip as short as possible. Hopefully the properties he was sent to procure would prove to be acceptable, and the lawyer he was to meet with, proficient at her work. There were no real worries on that score however, the lawyer came highly recommended from a trusted source.

Jay was feeling uncharacteristically restless this morning. He had slept poorly and awakened early with a pounding headache, courtesy of a long flight and a case of jet lag. He had showered and donned his human camouflage, a Hugo Boss suit tailored to his muscular, six foot four-inch frame. Nothing could truly make him blend in here though. His obvious height, broad shoulders, and handsome face were only a part of what caught people's attention. Less obvious, but more compelling, was the way he moved: like an arrogant predator among sheep, supremely confident in his ability to master anything under his golden gaze.

Now here he was, pacing with the nervous energy of a caged animal, his long strides carrying him back and forth in front of the large window overlooking the city. It was almost two hours before his meeting so Jay decided to walk the ten blocks or so to the office building where his meeting was to take place. Hopefully he would be able to sit still through what promised to be a tedious morning and afternoon.

Jay stepped past the doorman dutifully holding the door for him to exit, and stopped to get his bearings just short of the stream of humanity bustling passed on the sidewalk. The sheer volume of people, the noise, and odor of vehicle exhaust threatened to overwhelm him. He had an animal’s inherent mistrust of anything that drowned out the senses he depended on for survival. Once he felt like he had a handle on the sensory input, he joined the river of people heading the direction he needed to go. There was nothing outwardly threatening about him, but even in the crush of New York City pedestrian traffic, people unconsciously allowed him extra space, a small buffer between themselves and the man who seemed to radiate an aura that repelled casual touch.

Jay strode along the streets of New York, carried about by the flow of the crowd, in no real hurry to get to his destination. He had plenty of time to take in the sights of the morning commuter crush: the blaring horns from the traffic, the people engrossed in their phone conversations, or just staring mindlessly at their smart phones, totally unaware of their surroundings. The one thing he did enjoy was the smell of exotic foods coming from small eateries and carts spaced out along the streets. They reminded him of the fact that he had left the apartment with an empty stomach and it took a lot of food to fuel an animal his size. He was only a couple of blocks from his destination and still had some time to kill, so he decided to find something to quell the gnawing in his belly.

He scanned the small establishments that catered to the on-the-go crowds and chose a bagel shop based on the pleasant aromas wafting through its door. As he entered, he breathed deeply of the smell of coffee and baked goods. Stepping into the long, but swiftly moving line of people awaiting their turn at the counter, his eyes fell upon the woman at the front of the line. She was tall for a woman, dressed in a form fitting skirt that did nothing to hide the fact that she had a gloriously shapely backside. The fall of her rich, auburn hair reached nearly to the nip of her waist, accentuating her hourglass shape. If there was one thing he had a real weakness for, it was a woman with soft curves and a lush figure, and from behind, this woman fit that bill perfectly. As she turned toward him, juggling her purse, a cup of coffee, and a pastry, he noticed that the view from the front was excellent also. He appraised her from the floor up, her gloriously lush thighs, the generous swell of her hips, and good god, those breasts! He ached to feel the weight of them in his hands. What really stopped his heart though, were her eyes. They were watching him with frank amusement at his not so subtle appreciation of her figure. If he had not been so stunned, he would have thought to feel chagrin for being caught so obviously ogling, like someone’s lost village idiot. As she passed him, headed for the door, he couldn't help but avidly watch her progress. She paused in the doorway, turned, and flashed him a sunny smile. She stood there just long enough for him to think to himself, “Go after her, you idiot!”, when she was suddenly jerked through the door with a loud yelp.

That broke his paralysis, and he leapt for the door after her, jerking it open on to a scene that momentarily baffled him. She was standing on the sidewalk clutching the straps of her purse with her left hand and thoroughly beating the piss out of a man who was desperately clinging to the rest of her purse. He wasn't a large man at all, barely five foot seven, and scrawny. He had chosen his victim poorly, as she outweighed him by a good forty pounds, and obviously was not going down without a fight.

Jay was stuck behind her in the doorway, unable to assist without knocking her down. She didn't really look like she needed much help though. She was glorious in her ferocity, and he couldn't help but watch with admiration as her assailant absorbed blow after blow while stubbornly tugging to wrench the purse from her hand.

Just when Jay thought the man was going to give up, one of the straps on the handbag gave way, giving him enough distance to avoid the blows raining down on him. Fortunately, this also allowed him to back away at an angle, clearing the way for Jay to act. Reaching past the woman, he casually cuffed the man under his left ear. What was a casual blow for Jay was anything but for a human, and the purse-snatcher was sent sprawling several feet away, stunned.