"I have my own reasons to protect you," Klaus said, only very slightly mollified, if only because any further softening of his tone would have sounded like a lie, and he knew enough about her sort to know that.

He crossed over to her, and took her hand, the one not bandaged, making her turn to him and trying to meet her gaze. "You once told me I reminded you of your brother," he reminded her, searching her gaze with his own, unflinching one. "He would have taken your husband's head for his own reason, too." No matter how much he might have protested that it was for her, anyone taking somebody's head did it for their own reason.