Unexpected

Margo sighed heavily; sure, her mate was right there. However, circumstances had changed significantly. The Eclipse of the Turning had begun just over ten days ago.

This meant she couldn't change the woman she had since learnt was named Cora Mann. Margo had many enemies. There were even more bastards opportunistic enough to try to take advantage of a weak human mate.

Truthfully, there were some that would strike at any weak spot for her. No one could know she had a human mate. The last Eclipse lasted three years. No one knew how long it would last. It could be here for three weeks or a decade, no one ever knew.

Now here her mate was in her world for whatever reason. She couldn't just do nothing. She was watching as Stephan prepared to stake a claim. Even Petri was trying to move in on her girl.

The girl, Cora, was beautiful. Margo could smell her from the balcony. She could smell the scent of innocence coming off her like a wave.

Margo had slammed her mental mark on Cora. She did it before she even realized she intended to. The humans couldn't see the glowing mark on the girl's neck, but all the vampires could. Three male heads swiveled in her direction.

Jivani was in on the race to claim her mate as well, great. Two rival clan leaders and her own lieutenant.

Margo shrugged her shoulders at the three men to say, what? Her mark in her club outranked all of them. They were forced to step aside. No one looked happy about it though. They weren't going to argue for a human girl with Margo.

"I am not sure that was the best way to go about that to avoid attention Margo." Antionne said looking over the banister beside her head.

"There was about to be a fight, she's innocent." Margo snapped, unhappy with him. He was obnoxiously questioning a problem she was already grappling with.

"Here in a little while take the girl up to my suite. I will meet you there in a bit. Find out where she lives and anything else you can." Margo told her old friend.

"Margo, you know you can't keep her right now." Antione told his oldest friend gently.

"I'm fully aware of the things I can't have. I can't let her be here either. Those bastards are planning… Well, you know what they are planning for her. I would rather fight the whole damn world than allow that." Margo hissed.

"Okay, I will take her upstairs. I'll ask some questions and wait." Antoine told Margo who nodded at him in thanks.

Antoine left twenty minutes later. He caught Cora on the return trip from dropping off drinks. Margo could hear him clearly as he told her that the owner wanted to speak with her and to please follow him. She hesitated for a moment but then followed. Margo couldn't tell if he had used the thrall on her or not.

 Margo grabbed a compact mirror from her bag and checked her contacts. The vivid blue contacts over her red eyes made them shine a bright almost neon purple. The look was startling but not as startling as the red would have been. Antoine was happy with brown contacts. They always made his eyes a deep murky brown but not alarming in any way.

Everyone did their own thing in that regard. As long as no one went screaming from here yelling vampire; Margo didn't care. Her contacts were still fine, so she put the compact away. She wondered how long she should wait before going upstairs herself.

Margo was a little nervous to meet her mate. Though she would have to knock her out quickly. Then do what was needed to get Cora out of this club and away from all these vampires.

Margo hated that any of this was necessary. She should be celebrating having a mate with her mate until they were happy and sated. Then she should turn Cora and teach her to be a vampire.

Margo should be preparing to explain what it was like to be immortal. What it was like to have superpowers. Margo should be preparing to help Cora adjust to feeding and how crazy everything feels at first. That is what she should be worrying about.

Instead, she was frantically scrambling for a way to keep her hidden. She was wracking her brain for a way to keep herself separated from Cora until the eclipse was over. Who knew how long that would take?

Margo knew it would be a struggle to keep her distance from Cora. Somehow she had to manage it for both their safety. She had to keep Cora alive long enough to eventually be able to turn her.

Margo skipped down the stairs and started across the main floor. Stephan walked up beside her causing her to stop at the bottom of the other buildings stairs.

"Going to get you a piece of that fine ass, eh boss. Send your leftovers down to me, I'd like a piece." Stephan said with a leering chuckle.

"I don't think there's going to be any leftovers and if there is I might just keep them." Margo said through gritted teeth giving off plenty of fuck off vibes.

Stephan was an obstinate ass however and just stood there leering at Margo.

"As in get lost." Margo finally snapped. Stephan grinned wider and walked off chuckling. It was obvious he was pretty bent about her stealing the girl. Well tough shit buddy, Cora was already hers. It wasn't Margo's problem that he didn't know that.

Margo climbed the steps making sure no one was following her. She didn't expect there to be, but she still checked. Someone would have to be stoned stupid to try to take her and Antione together.

When Margo reached the small sitting room outside her personal suite, she knocked on the bedroom door. Antione opened it and she found Cora sitting on a bench at the end of the bed. She looked stricken when she first looked up. When she saw Margo, her face perked up before looking confused.

Antione stepped out and closed the door. "She is very worried about losing this job. She lives in one of the camps. That pretty much as far as I've gotten because the girl is noticeably stressed."

Antione sighed, "Cora knows what kind of place this is. I'm certain she is expecting the boss to come and make demands. She is obviously trying to figure out how badly she needs the job and what might happen if she refuses. Considering she lives in the camps she probably would do most anything not to end up even worse off."

Margo scowled at the man. She knew he was just speaking the truth, but she hated the truth right now. The truth was on her shit list.

Margo sighed reigning in her temper. None of this was Antione fault. It was hers for thinking she could wait to go to her mate that first day. If she only had taken her then. None of this would be happening now. It was all her own damn fault.

"This is what we are going to do. I am going to go in there and let her know I have a better job for her as an executive assistant. That's what she was before right?" Margo asked. Antione nodded.

That was what information he had found about Cora Mann had said. "That position comes with an apartment. We'll use 27C in the tower. That way she rarely needs to leave. Her scent will be localized." Margo continued.

Pausing Margo considered for a moment. "You will take her to gather her belongings and get her situated in the tower apartment. Leave petty cash for her groceries and toiletry needs. Then leave and let her be to get used to her space. What do you think?"

Antione nodded, "I think it's a plan that is skirting the edge of the apocalypse, but I don't really see one that isn't right now. How are you going to keep your distance if you are only floors away?"

"Sheer force of will, my friend." Margo said lightly.

"We're doomed." Antione remarked seriously.

"Besides if we are in the same building who will say anything if we do run into each other from time to time?" Margo told Antione conversationally.

"We are so screwed. You are already planning to sabotage us. You're actively trying to get us killed." Antione chided.

"Don't be such a drama queen. We have nearly two millennia of experience between the two of us. How much trouble can one human girl be?" Margo asked shaking her head in exasperation.

Antione glared at Margo. "Really? Do you remember your pet project in Milan? How about Philly?"

"That's different, they weren't mates. All's well that ends well. Philly ended well and Milan ended poorly because you ate her." Margo interjected.

"I ate her because I couldn't stand the sound of her whining and complaining voice anymore." Antione remembered chuckling.

"You're not going to eat my mate." Margo huffed crossing her arms over her chest.

"Of course not. I was merely pointing out that humans make situations occur that might be unexpected. It's best you keep your distance until after the eclipse when you can turn her. This is not something you would want to make a mistake and get wrong. Margo, you get one chance at this." Antione told his friend seriously.

"I know, it's hard though. You get that right?" Margo asked him.

"Yeah, I get that it's hard. We have wasted enough time. Go do your thing so I can get her out of here." Afton sat down in a loveseat. He put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.