When the boy assumed he'd been commenting on his height, Thomas opened his mouth to respond. He didn't get a chance to say anything, though, because Cooper quickly followed it up with a comment about being stronger than he looked, then punched, proving that it was very much true.

Thomas staggered back, grasping his windpipe and struggling to breathe for a moment, his hair falling over his face. If he'd been human, he'd probably be on the ground right then, possibly with a crushed windpipe or a pulverized throat. In that moment, one thing became imminently clear. This guy was definitely not human, and that changed everything. Thomas hadn't been making a crack about the other guy's height. He'd been trying to warn him off, hoping to make the guy realize he was getting into something he couldn't handle. Not really wanting to beat on a guy who couldn't defend himself.

Standing there, choking and gasping, it suddenly became painfully clear to Thomas that Cooper was not the one he needed to be concerned about. Which meant that he wasn't holding back.

His head snapping up, Thomas revealed his face, fully vamped out with extended fangs and reddened eyes. With a hiss, Thomas lunged at Cooper, trying to tackle him to the ground.