"Kneel."

Klaus was seething. "Let. Her. Go."

Lucien thrust his hand in my chest. I let out a cry of pain, grasping his wrist.

"What are you proving by killing her? It's me you hate." There was a panic in his voice I'd never heard before.

"I want nothing more than for you to suffer, knowing that you are the reason she is dead." He squeezed. Which was wholly unnecessary. I grunted, trying to stay as still as possible. "Get on your knees."

Klaus hesitated. Why was he hesitating?

"Do you really want to measure your pride against my mercy?"

Holy shit I was going to die.

Blood trickled out of my mouth. That's never happened before. "Klaus."

"It's interesting, isn't it. The lowly stable boy besting a tyrannical king. You've made millions tremble at the mere mention of your name." A Cheshire grin stretched across Lucien's face. "I hold your entire world in the palm of my hand. Kneel. Or I rip her heart out of her chest."

"Are you really-" I winced. "Going to kill me because you want to one up Klaus?! Fucking egos."

"It would be wise to shut that pretty mouth of yours." Lucien brushed his knuckles against my cheek. "All he has to do is concede."

"To what end?" Breathe through the pain, Maverick. Breathe. "You know he'll kill you as soon as I'm safe."

Klaus shifted on his feet, clearly getting ready to rush Lucien.

"Then I'll die knowing I was right. That after a thousand years, he finally has a weakness I could exploit. He compelled me and the De Martels to run from his father. I've wanted to do this since the compulsion broke."

Talk your way out of this.

"Wouldn't stealing me be the better revenge?"

Lucien's brow furrowed, and thankfully his grip loosened, just a tad.

"Think about it. Klaus loves me. I'm the only one he's ever married in a thousand years. Wouldn't taking his wife as your own, and flaunting that fact, knowing he can do nothing about it, make him more miserable?" I adjusted my grip. "I'd be a permanent hostage. He'd never be able to touch you."

Lucien had no idea how wolf marriage worked. That it'd actually torture the both of us.

"You'd do this willingly?"

"I'll admit I've been looking for a way out. Do you know what it's like to be in that family? I only ask that I can still be part of my children's lives."

I tried to ignore the look on Klaus' face.

How hurt he was.

In part, it was true. I was trying to get out of New Orleans, I did want to be part of my kids' lives, and it was terrifying being a member of the Mikaelson family.

All so my heart wouldn't stutter and give me away.

"An interesting deal." He eyed Klaus.

Lucien made a fatal mistake. He drew me closer to his side, taking his hand out of my chest, and settling them both on my waist.

As soon as I was out of mortal danger, Klaus moved.

Lucien was across the grassy lot before I could blink.

I set my hands on my knees, letting out a breath. "Gods, I hate the whole chest thing. Like obviously I'll heal if I manage to talk my way out of it, but fuck."

Klaus advanced on Lucien, rage rolling off him in waves.

"Wait. Wait." He scrambled away.

"You went after my wife. My wife." He grabbed him by the throat, lifting Lucien off his feet. "I'll make your death painful."

"Klaus."

He turned, eyes dark.

"Can we please go. I want to get my own blood off me." I was covered in it. "Just kill him."

"You would prefer your lover have a quick death?"

"He's hardly my lover. If I recall, you were also fucking other people during our tiff. I didn't know he had it out for you until the ball."

It was an odd sensation, feeling my chest knit itself back together. I stood up straight, careful not to destroy the work my healing already did.

"He's not worth all this."

Klaus snapped Lucien's neck. "I disagree. He's going to discover the depths of my rage."

"You know all that stuff I said to him was a lie, right?"

"Were you not expressing to me just last week that you'd like to leave New Orleans?" He began moving in the direction he'd come from, dragging an unconscious Lucien behind him.

"Would I appreciate less danger in my children's lives? Yes. But I'm not doing it without you. Klaus, you're it for me. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. I understand that you're tied to New Orleans, and that you'll probably never leave, so that means I'll stay." Like it was ever a choice.

He stopped and eyed me. He pursed his lips. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I moved around to his other side. "Thanks for coming for me."

"Always."

I slipped my hand into his and we walked to his car together.