Mikhail bowed over her hand. "Welcome and thank you. Destiny tells me you were very instrumental in protecting our children. There are no words for how grateful we are."
Daciana smiled at him. "It's what we do. And Destiny certainly did her fair share of fighting."
"I hope you enjoy yourself," Mikhail added.
Zev continued with the introductions to his pack. "These four are Convel, Gunnolf, Makoce and Arnou."
The four Lycans were extremely polite as Mikhail greeted them, but held themselves stiffly as if they weren't certain what they were getting into.
The last elite hunter limped a little as he came up to be introduced. Zev touched his shoulder briefly. "This is Lykaon."
Lykaon bowed slightly toward the prince but looked at Gregori. "I would not have survived without your aid or Shea's. I thank you."
"It was the least I could do after what you did for us," Gregori said.
Mikhail graciously thanked each of the Lycan hunters for their help. Vikirnoff and Natalya along with Destiny and Nicolae immediately came over. Destiny had fought with the Lycans and she introduced her lifemate, his brother and Natalya as she led the other pack members over to the tables of food and drink.
Fen knew immediately that Mikhail had planned for just that move. The pack respected Destiny's abilities and would relate to her and her family. Out of the corner of his eye he could see other Carpathian couples going up and introducing themselves to the pack members and engaging them in conversation.
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."