Cooper watched with an impassive face as the other man went staggering back. That blow should have put a normal human down. It gave him pause, allowing time for Thomas to recover. He just had a single moment to register that he'd gotten himself into a fight with another vampire before he was tackled to the ground.

In terms of sheer bulk, Thomas was heavier and could easily weigh him down. A couple of thoughts ran through Cooper's head in a few seconds as he hit the ground. One, he had to get out from under Thomas. Two, he didn't know how old the other was, but Cooper had to assume he had brains on his side if not brawn. Three, he had to strike back and fast if he wanted to end up on top in this conflict.

He extended his own fangs. "You picked the wrong vampire to mess with, bucko." Turning his head, he bit down on Thomas' hand. The younger vampire tasted like cologne and other products. Ick. What a terrible flavor.