He winced a bit at her reaction. "Sorry. Shouldn't of sprung 'em on ya like that. I won't hurt ya, and neither will they. Promise." He didn't want the girl afraid of him. "They're bone.. just coated with indestructible metal, my whole skeleton is."
He looked at Theresa when she said that and shook his head, dazed for a second. For the briefest of seconds something registered, but was gone before he could grab a hold of it. As always.
He wasn't about to dare and say that most of the time that protecting ended up being killing someone with his claws.