The Cullen's as a group watched as Thomas walked into the woods. Each had their own thoughts about this experiment. Edward found himself comforting Alice.
"I know you are nervous, but Jasper is far from helpless. If anything goes wrong, I am sure we as a group can handle it."
Alice looked up at Edward, they had a special bond. Him being able to see her visions helped them to relate to each other. "I am just so used to being able to see. I know I sound like a broken record but it's so frustrating to not have my sight. Especially when Jasper just fades from view anytime Thomas is involved. It scares me, to not know."
Edythe placed a comforting hand on Alice's shoulder. "I trust Thomas, Alice. If he wasn't in control, then he would simply not come this way. I have done some research on tigers, and they do not look for trouble. So, if his mind is wholly tiger, it won't volunteer to walk into a den of vampires. Just coming our way will show if Thomas is still in somewhat control."
Carlisle's voice sounded approving, "That is a well thought out theory Edythe. I never would have thought to look at it from a predatory point of view. No predator looks for trouble without reason, only humans do that."
The family stood quietly and still as statues, waiting for Thomas to appear. Moments later, they all heard the sound of a roar coming from the forest. Edythe thought it sounded joyful for some reason.
Emmett was the first to speak out, "Wow, that sounded intense. He has to be huge to be that loud. I wonder if he would give me more of a fight than a bear?"
Edythe shook her head, "The way he described tearing apart the British vampire, I don't think you want to find out Emmett."
Emmett gave a snort, "That was just a boy bragging to his girlfriend. How much trouble would a one-armed vampire be anyway? I tore his arm off easily enough and would have done more if it wouldn't have made Carlisle unhappy. No one touches my Rose without her permission."
There was another roar from the forest that sounded a bit closer, or at least directed our way. Edythe blocked out Emmett's bragging and focused on Jasper's mind, knowing that he would be the first to see or hear Thomas.
After a couple minuets of silence, "Wait, Jasper thinks he hears something. He can't hear any steps, but a faint growling. He thinks its Thomas breathing maybe."
The group focused more on the lone vampire standing in the backyard. The security flood lights made little difference to their eyes, but Esme insisted they were part of the house plans and needed to be there.
Edythe focused on where Jasper was looking with her eyes, but her mind was still trying to see everything Jasper could. Jasper took a large intake of air and slightly squatted down. Emmett recognized the stance as a fighting one that Jasper used when he was serious.
(Jasper POV)
I could hear a great thudding heartbeat and the rush of air that was soon accompanied by an exhaling rumble. {Either my hearing has gotten better, or that is one big animal headed my way.}
I heard the sound of fur brushing past tree bark and focused where I expected to see Thomas's head, but to my surprise, I was looking at a white and black leg joint. I have seen tigers before, never hunted them, but I knew their average size was about waist high to a person wile walking. However, as my eyes slowly rose to take in this white and black beast, I realized that I was looking at it eye to eye, and it was slightly lowering its head to do so.
My lips pealed back slightly, and I tensed up even more. This was an apex predator, no doubt about it. I watched for any sign that it had hostile intent, and my mind reached out trying to ascertain its emotions. All I felt was a weariness of a predator coming into contact with another predator.
The giant tiger slowly left the edge of the woods and showed himself fully to the whole family. When breathing is not necessary the idea of gasping is a foreign one, however everyone found that little bit of humanity once again as they all gasped at the size and outright majesty of the animal in front of them.
Jasper heard Emmet speak with awe in his voice, "Jesus, look at the muscles on that thing, its an absolute monster."
Thomas must have heard him as he turned his great head to the house and gave a low grumbling exhale that showed his ivory teeth. He then returned his attention towards me and started to sniff the air once again. I could tell his muscles were tense, but there was no aggressiveness to his emotions, just a weariness and cautious hope.
I watched him for a few moments, careful not to lock eyes too much as that could be seen as a challenge. Keeping my mind on his emotions, I slowly relaxed my body and held out my hand to him. He took another step forward and took a large inhale through his nose. His sky-blue eyes looked at me, and I knew there was intelligence behind them. These were not the eyes of a wild beast operating on instinct.
Suddenly, from the house I heard a squeal of delight from Edythe, "I CAN HEAR HIM!!!"
(Edythe POV)
Taking in the sheer beauty and strength of Thomas in his tiger shape, I heard Jasper's conclusion that Thomas's eyes were clear and showed intelligence. With gritted teeth to prepare for the pain that always accompanied attempting to read his mind, I focused on Thomas. My mind leapt in happiness as I could feel the joy in his strength, his weariness of confronting another predator, and the happiness that he was still in control. All this told me one thing.
"I CAN HEAR HIM!!!"
I pulled the sliding glass door open and ran to Thomas a fast as I could. In a blink, I stood before his great head and looked into his eyes. I saw at first his surprise that I was there, and then his moment of concern before it filled with the affection I had become used to seeing him look at me with. I reached for his face and ran my hand through the fur on his cheek, which turned out to be bristlier than I thought it would be.
He pushed his head into my body and rubbed his face on me. Then I heard his voice, {"I'm in control. I don't have to worry about hurting you. I wish I could tell you how great this feels."}
I spoke out loud, "I can hear you, Thomas. I am so happy you are in control. You don't have to worry about hurting anyone by accident."
I saw the look of surprise and happiness cross his eyes, and then he was suddenly worried as his mind quickly ran across a few things he thought I shouldn't know. He made the classic mistake of thinking about what he didn't want me to know before trying to bury it so I couldn't see. When I had read those thoughts from other guys, I found them irritating and immature, but now they took on a whole new meaning.
He wasn't thinking anything too crass, rather tame compared to many thoughts I had heard over the years. But since it was him thinking like that, when I followed the ideas in my head, I felt anticipation instead of the disgust others made me feel. It was comforting to know he felt attracted to me. To hear it in his mind, not just his words, but to truly know what he felt with no filter.
I stepped into his body, past his head, and wrapped my arms around his neck. I buried my face into his fur and finally admitted to myself that I truly and fully loved this person, with a passion that scared me a little. Thomas suddenly started making a stuttering sound from his mouth, like a forced breathing. It took a moment to realize that it was a tiger's equivalent to a cat's purr called Prusten or Chuffing. I read that it was a sound associated with contentment or relaxation.
Slowly, everyone stepped out of the house and approached the hugging pair and Jasper, who still stood near Thomas and Edythe. He was feeling almost drawn to their emotional connection.
Carlisle was the first to speak, "It seems that many of our worries have been put to rest. Do you feel any discomfort being in our presence, Thomas?"
Thomas shook his head, and then I spoke the thought he was having. "He says the anger he felt from Henry is completely absent from his mind. It surprised him a bit when I ran up to him, but there was no hostile reaction from any instinct he could feel."
Esme smiled, "That is a relief."
Following Thomas's thought directed at me, I let him go and joined my family. "He wants to approach each of us in an effort to memorize our smells. He says that we each have a distinct smell to him in this form."
They all stood still as he approached them individually, then with a glance and a few thoughts at Edythe, he turned back the way he came and quickly ran off.
"He is headed back to change and get dressed, it should only take a moment."
Everyone walked back into the house, but Edythe stood there waiting for her Thomas to return.