Mikhail inclined his head toward Fen. "I believe you two know one another."
"We've certainly fought a few battles together now," Zev said, holding out his hand to Fen.
Fen was glad he'd thought to put his gloves on. Zev accepted him as Lycan but found his relationship with the Carpathians suspect.
"I see you've come prepared," Zev acknowledged.
"Always. With two of the Sange rau in the area, running such a large pack, I figure no one is safe," Fen said, opening the subject up immediately.
"I agree," Zev said. "It doesn't make sense that they're staying here when they know the hunters have arrived and there are so many Carpathians to fight them off."
Mikhail chose to inch toward a corner where the five of them could talk privately. Tatijana discreetly slipped off to talk with the pack members and Natalya's family. Zev walked with them to the small alcove where there were comfortable chairs. Once Mikhail sat, they all did, even Gregori, although Fen noticed that the way he'd positioned his chair, he could get in front of Mikhail instantly.
Fen didn't tell him it wasn't needed. No one in the room was faster than he was, and he would defend Mikhail, but he'd bet, Zev was every bit as quick as Gregori.
"One of the Sange rau is Bardolf, who had been a Lycan I thought long dead," Fen explained. "The other had been a Carpathian named Abel, an ancient hunter who turned vampire some centuries ago."
"We believe that they built a large pack with the intention of sacrificing them in order to distract the hunters while one of the leaders comes in to assassinate Mikhail," Gregori said.
Zev frowned, bringing the fingers of his hands together in a steeple. "They're intelligent enough to come up with such a plan, but what would they gain?"
"If I'm killed, it very well could end our species," Mikhail admitted. "My son is far too young to take over and we've been at a crisis point for centuries, barely holding on as a species."
Zev nodded. "The Sange rau decimated our ranks centuries ago. We had to completely restructure to build and we're still fragile."
"I believe it's time for our two species to become close allies. Whatever the problem that occurred between us certainly doesn't exist anymore," Mikhail said, leaning forward. "We could learn so much from one another, and I believe we can be of mutual aid to one another."
"The problem is what happens when, if by some chance, the blood between your species and mine mix. The Sange rau is what happens," Zev pointed out.
"Not exactly," Mikhail countered, his tone matter-of-fact as well as carrying a hint of surprise as if he expected Zev to already know. "A lifemated Carpathian could not become the Sange rau. Only a Carpathian who chooses to give up his soul could. The Sange rau is a vampire, not a Carpathian. Should a Carpathian become mixed blood, he would be Han ku pesak kaikak, or Paznicii de toate-Guardian of all. They aren't the same. They are the ones capable of matching the Sange rau in battle."
Zev shook his head. "I've never come across such a fighter, although, to be honest, the Sange rau is so rare few hunters ever run across one even with the longevity of our lives. If what you believe is true and you are the target of these two, then perhaps there is more to it than we know. What benefit would it be for them to destroy an entire species?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Mikhail said. "I've been turning it over and over and it has occurred to me that there is another master somewhere, one we haven't discovered. One with an agenda that might be the demise of both our species."
Zev was an intelligent man and saw the reasoning. "I can get word to the council and ask if they would be willing to meet with you."
"If they agree, I'll call in my warriors for their protection as well," Mikhail said. "Hopefully you can stick around to help us ensure their safety."
Zev nodded. "First we have to destroy this pack. We've been picking them off, but I'd like to really get an idea of their numbers. They've broken the pack in smaller units to help hide them from us."
"We can help with that," Mikhail said. "We can use the sky to see their numbers."
"That would be extremely helpful," Zev said. "This is a big area with so many places to hide, and you know it where we don't. If they aren't aware that you've seen them, and we get their locations, we can destroy them."
"I don't think," Fen contributed, "even if we destroy their enormous pack, that Bardolf and Abel will leave without another attempt at Mikhail. They want him dead."
"Then we have to come up with a battle plan," Gregori said simultaneously with Zev.
The two men looked at one another, each with a grim smile.
"I don't want to take up more of your time tonight," Mikhail said. "I'd like you to have fun and meet some of my people. We can plan our battle this next rising." He stood and once again shook Zev's hand.
"I'll get word to the council," Zev promised. He looked around the room at his scattered pack. They were definitely enjoying themselves, talking animatedly with the Carpathians surrounding them, making them the center of attention, listening to their every story. "Thank you for this, Mikhail, my pack needed a little downtime."
Mikhail gave a small old-world bow from the waist and moved away with Jacques and Gregori, leaving Fen and Zev alone.
"He's cool under fire," Zev said. "I've got to give him that. With two Sange rau after him, he's in mortal danger, and he knows it."
"We managed to fight one off, but the other got through the safeguards and went right for him. He didn't move a muscle, didn't flinch. He just watched to see how fast they were and how good they were at unraveling the safeguards set in place," Fen said. "We were lucky, but next time we'll have to be better prepared."
"Do you think there is another masterminding-" Zev broke off in midsentence, looking over Fen's shoulder.
For a moment Zev looked as if he'd been hit over the head with a club. Those eyes, so empty and cold before, lit up as if with a flame. The light transformed the hunter's entire face. His edgy, tough features softened a little, leaving him younger and more approachable.
"She's stunning. Who is she?"
Fen turned his head as a hush fell over the room. Branislava stood at the entrance. Her thick fiery red hair fell to her waist in soft waves framing her face. Her skin was pale, but seemed to glow as if a furnace burned inside her and there was no containing the scorching heat. Her eyes-Dragonseeker eyes-dazzled. Her lashes were long and feathery, shading her emerald eyes. She looked as if two gemstones had been pressed into her face and a fire had been lit behind them so the brilliance shone at all times.