Happy Friday, everyone! This week has been killing me. I've been actively fighting writer's block on multiple pieces that I've been wanting to type for Wattpad. Thankfully, this fic is still getting juice. I have a month's worth of backlog for it at this point! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

The following day, Jaune and Yang left Vale discreetly, slipping into the woods in a way that was already becoming too familiar.

Yang was walking fast, making it necessary for Jaune to jog to keep up. He understood, of course. After days of thinking her sister was dead, she was being given the chance to see her again and help save her best friend, who was also miraculously alive somewhere.

Jaune was also eager to see Ruby. Though their meeting would mostly consist of planning for Blake's eventual rescue, he reasoned that there would be some time to just sit and talk.

He was also incredibly curious as to what he would see when he went to this meeting. It was daytime, so both Ruby and Pyrrha would be in their human forms. Until now, he had only seen the red wolf in her bestial shape. What was she like as a human? Was she a total savage, like the Church painted ordinary werewolves to be? Could she speak? Would she even resemble a human, or would she appear as some strange, wolfish being even in the daylight? He had never seen a werewolf in its human form up close before. The only exceptions were the people who got bitten during raids, but they were killed long before any wolfish features could come to light.

Ruby looks normal, he reasoned. Maybe Pyrrha will too. Then again, Ruby could be normal because she hasn't been a werewolf for a long time.

"Hey, Jaune! I'll leave you behind if you can't keep up. Come on!" Yang's impatient voice called from a few yards ahead.

"Coming!" Jaune ran to catch up with her. He remembered to look around for any Grimm or hostile werewolves.

They got to the designated meeting place, but the two werewolves weren't there yet. Yang started pacing back and forth.

"You okay?" Jaune asked, looking at his friend with concern.

"Yes. No. I don't know…" Yang groaned, rubbing irritably at her forehead. "I'm still not sure what to think of all this. My sister and best friend are werewolves instead of dead, and we're helping them out rather than killing them like we're supposed to be doing. I mean, theoretically, we could kill them both once we get Blake back, but I don't think I have it in me."

"I know what you mean," Jaune said. "I knew from the beginning that I couldn't do it."

"I kinda figured, with the way you went off to warn Ruby and all…" Yang bit her lip, staring at the ground. "It should've been me who thought to do that, not you."

"Well, don't forget that I had more of a bias in her favor," Jaune reminded her. After the meeting with Ruby, he had come clean about meeting Pyrrha when he was young. "It's like how Weiss doesn't know how to react. You guys just wanted to save Ruby's soul." He shook his head. "Now though, I don't think it's in any danger."

At that moment, the rustling of some branches signaled the approach of two figures. Jaune and Yang tensed briefly before Ruby came into view, closely followed by a tall, red-haired young woman.

Pyrrha's eyes found Jaune's immediately and she smiled. It was a friendly smile, though there was a definite feral edge that reminded Jaune of her wolfish grin from the night before. Her green eyes, terrifying in her wolf form, were downright mesmerizing in her human form. Her long, red hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Unlike Ruby, who wore her torn clothes from home, the older werewolf was clad only in short pants and a loose tunic. Jaune quickly averted his eyes, his cheeks turning a little pink.

Ruby immediately ran over to Yang, throwing her arms around her. "Hi, sis! Owowow! You're strangling me! Air!" she groaned as Yang dropped her, shaking herself before rushing to hug Jaune. "Hey, Jaune!" She squeezed him tightly while nodding to Pyrrha. "Yang, Jaune, you met Pyrrha already."

"Hello again!" Pyrrha said, nodding her head courteously. Her blood was singing with excitement. She still couldn't believe that she was really doing this. She was talking with her human from years ago. Not only that, but she was now officially on speaking terms with several humans!

In the sunlight, she was truly able to appreciate his eyes. They were the same color as the spring sky. His blond hair, which had been muted during the night, now shone like gold. It was similar to the hair of Ruby's sister. Both of the humans were simply beautiful creatures. Pyrrha liked Yang's lavender eyes. She'd never seen eyes like that before. According to Ruby, they took on a reddish tinge when Yang was angry.

She would definitely make a good werewolf, Pyrrha thought, though she didn't voice the sentiment out loud. She had a feeling that such a statement would be taken as an insult.

Jaune bowed his head briefly before holding his hand out to Pyrrha. "It's nice to see you again."

Pyrrha shook his hand, chuckling to herself at how formal he was being, despite the fact that this was their third meeting. "Likewise." There was a strength in the human's warm, calloused hand that she hadn't noticed when her stronger wolf paw had enclosed it the night before.

With the pleasantries out of the way, the four sat down and began discussing what they knew. Unfortunately, they didn't have a lot to go by.

"Adam's pack controls most of this area," Pyrrha explained. "My pack's territory is limited to the base of the mountain, the wastelands to the west, and some of the woods to the south and east. His forces are considerably strong and numerous. Cinder estimates that his pack is at least three times the size of our own."

"Is there any other information we can use?" Yang wondered.

"Sun thinks that Adam took Blake and me because he…liked us." Ruby shuddered a little at the thought. "That's why he bit us without killing us."

"Liked you? What do you-?" Jaune stopped when Yang gave him a look. After a moment of silence, he guessed Ruby's meaning. "Wait, you mean…UGH!" His insides squirmed as he pictured what Blake was likely going through. "Yeah, okay. This needs to be done soon. If the pack is too big to attack directly, couldn't we try using stealth? Ren's pretty good with that."

"That's what I had planned on," Pyrrha agreed. "The problem is that no one has seen far enough into Adam's territory to tell how things are laid out. Cinder doesn't want to risk attacking him directly until we have more wolves."

"More wolves?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "I hope she's not looking at Vale."

Pyrrha shook her head. "She's not stupid. She wouldn't try attacking so soon after Adam's raid. Besides, bitten wolves take time to rehabilitate. She's hoping that things will be better by the end of spring."

She shifted uncomfortably as she thought about how things were at the dens. The effects of the season were beginning to show themselves, and many of the males were giving her a great deal of attention. Though an adult and in season, she was able to fend off her baser instincts, as she had no interest in anyone in the pack. She kept Ruby close, knowing that a new whelp would probably be unused to the new sensations and might do something stupid if not watched carefully.

Ruby blinked. "Why would things be better by the end of- Oh…" Her face flushed. "Right."

Yang, on the other hand, sat bolt upright. "Wait, so werewolves have their mating season now?" At Pyrrha's nod, her face became pale. "God and Maidens, we need to get Blake out of there as soon as possible!" If it was true that Adam "liked" Blake, there was no telling what he'd do as spring ran its course.

Ruby gasped while Jaune made a strangled noise in his throat. Pyrrha put a hand to her mouth. Despite the season, she hadn't even thought about what that would mean for Blake until Yang brought it up.

After a moment of silence, Jaune spoke. "If you can't risk your pack, then maybe it's possible for us to do something. A hunt deeper into werewolf territory isn't unusual, especially after a successful one like what we had before. We all make up a hunting group, so we won't have to bring along anyone who isn't in on this plan. We can even tell the truth to the Elders when we bring nothing back: We were scouting the area."

Ruby perked up. "Yeah! If you can find out enough, Pyrrha or I could slip in to get her out. All we need to do then is make up some kind of story for Cinder so she'll let Blake in the pack."

They continued to talk and scheme, but eventually had to agree that no further planning could happen until after a patrol was made into Adam's territory. Yang walked off with Ruby once the meeting ended.

"So, how've things been, sis?" she asked, glancing at Ruby's tattered clothes. "What are the other werewolves like? Are they all like Pyrrha?"

Ruby shook her head. "Not really. There are a few who are nice, like Sun. Most of them are kinda aloof. Pyrrha's a bit of an outcast because of some pack politics and a bunch of people thinking she'll fight Cinder for leadership."

Yang blinked. "Wait, really?" A grin started to spread across her face. "What if she does? Then, she can make the whole pack help us get Blake back, and-"

"And most of them would die," Ruby finished. "The pack isn't strong enough. That's why Cinder's never attacked Adam directly. Besides, Pyrrha doesn't want to be leader."

"Oh." Yang's shoulders slumped. "I guess it can't be that easy, huh?"

While Ruby and Yang talked, Jaune looked at Pyrrha, unsure of what to say. "Um, thanks for being friends with Ruby. She was probably really scared at first."

"She was," Pyrrha affirmed, frowning slightly. "I didn't realize that humans thought such horrible things about werewolves. She was convinced that she was damned simply because of what she was. A part of her might still think that."

Jaune winced. "Yeah, the Church and the Elders kinda… Yeah." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "It's hard when you're raised to think a certain way, you know?"

"What are your thoughts?" Pyrrha asked, watching Jaune's face carefully. "I mean, you must have known that werewolves weren't simple beasts, since you were able to speak with me that one time."

"I still wasn't sure," Jaune admitted. "I mean, you could have been a fluke, or I could have dreamed the whole thing. I couldn't tell anyone without risking getting in trouble. Then, I started training as a Huntsman and werewolf raids became more of a thing, and…" He trailed off with a shrug.

Noticing Pyrrha's disappointed look, he added: "But, I didn't enjoy killing werewolves. Not in the way I enjoy fighting Grimm, anyway. It was just something I did when I had to. Also, you were part of the reason I decided to warn Ruby instead of hunting her down."

Pyrrha's expression softened. "I'm surprised you recognized me."

"Well, I've never seen another wolf with bright green eyes and pure red fur like yours."

"My mother had those features, though she didn't like joining raids." Pyrrha thought back to her parents. Neither one had been particularly for attacking human settlements and never joined raids when they occurred. It had been one of many issues that had put them at odds with Cinder.

"Didn't?" Jaune's voice took on a sympathetic tone as he noticed the past tense Pyrrha used.

"They both died in a battle with Adam's pack. It was a year or so after you saved me, so I was still young at the time." Pyrrha's eyes clouded. "Apparently, it was their dying wish that I challenge Cinder and lead the pack to glory."

"I'm sorry," Jaune murmured. "Do you plan on leading the pack?"

"No. That's the problem," Pyrrha sighed. "Many expect me to, and the fact that it was their last wish makes me feel like I should want to, even though I don't." She shook her head. "Cinder has flaws, but she's a good leader." She looked at Jaune. "I'm sorry. You probably aren't interested in pack issues."

"Actually, I am," Jaune replied honestly. "I'm probably one of the only humans to ever speak to a werewolf in ages. I mean, if you don't include the generic 'I'm going to destroy you!' battle cries." He thought of Cardin and rolled his eyes.

Pyrrha snickered. "So, Huntsmen really use battle cries?"

"Not good Huntsmen," Jaune said bluntly. "Imagine teams of hotheads who love swinging heavy pieces of metal around with no real strategy."

That led to a discussion about the loudmouthed betas that Pyrrha often had to deal with, which led to comparing notes about which group of jerks was the worst. Cardin and his cronies eventually won out, as Mercury and Emerald wouldn't be the types to set fire to homes due to superstition.

As the sun sank lower, Jaune and Yang reluctantly took their leave, holding some rabbits that Pyrrha had killed for them before the meeting. "I used my claws, not my fangs, don't worry," she assured them. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Me too," Jaune replied, nodding at her before pulling Ruby into another hug. "Take care of yourself, okay? We'll get on that patrol as soon as possible. Blake will be just fine."

"I know." Ruby closed her eyes as she hugged back. "We've got Vale's best strategist on our side."

"Don't forget that Ren's basically a ninja. We got this," Yang added as Ruby stepped away from Jaune to hug her. "See ya, sis. If any of the boys in the pack get out of line, claw their noses off."

"I'll take care of that," Pyrrha said. "Worry not."

The two groups parted ways, Jaune and Yang returning to Vale, Pyrrha and Ruby circling around so they could say that they had been patrolling the borders. If their plans went as smoothly as their meeting had gone, Blake would surely be safe and sound by the end of the season.

….

Ruby was in her wolf form as she padded around the dens, trying to get used to the energy that coursed through her. If she wanted to be of any help to Blake and the others, she'd have to learn more about her new abilities. Noticing a dead tree with several claw marks on it, she stood on her hind legs and started swiping at it.

Her nails cut through the wood like butter, and she was a little stunned at just how sharp they were. She stared at her paws, grinning as she took another swing.

It didn't take long for her bestial nature to take over. Soon, she was full-on attacking the dead tree, making it creak and break with all the stress she was putting on it. Finally, there was a snap as it fell to the side. Ruby stood over it, panting a little with the exertion.

Then, she noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see one of the males looking at her with eyes as slate-gray as his fur. She faintly remembered that his name was Mercury.

The larger wolf was giving her an odd look. There was a strange gleam in his eye that Ruby could not understand. She tilted her head to show her confusion.

In response, Mercury's tail started wagging and he took a few steps closer, making a rumbling sound in the back of his throat.

Ruby's ears flattened and she felt her tail going between her legs. There was something weird about the male wolf's scent, something that she knew was important for some reason. Whatever it was, it made her nervous.

Mercury paused only briefly at her change of expression before moving closer, touching his nose to hers and sniffing. His ear flicked once and he licked her shoulder.

His scent washed over Ruby and she suddenly realized what it meant. She jumped backward, shaking her head and growling sharply. When Mercury tried to take another step forward, she glared at him.

Her silver eyes narrowed as she fixed them on his gray ones. Was she not being clear enough? Not interested, she tried to say without words. Definitely not interested! Her glare deepened and, to her astonishment, Mercury started backing off. His ears flattened and he bowed his head submissively as he moved away from her. Once he was a good distance away, he ran off with his tail between his legs, still not looking directly at her.

Confused, Ruby started toward the den, so she could ask Pyrrha about what had happened. On the way back, she noticed the red and gold form of Cinder staring at her a few yards away, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Oh, Ruby! I'm so sorry I wasn't with you." Pyrrha shook her head as Ruby finished telling of her encounter, silently berating herself. She had been talking with Sun and the others, and hadn't realized that Ruby had wandered off on her own. "You really should stay with me until the mating season ends. None of the males will force themselves on you, but you might end up doing something you wouldn't normally have."

"Honestly, I didn't feel anything but nervous when he came close," Ruby said. "I'm more confused about how scared he seemed at the end."

"That was the alpha stare," Pyrrha said calmly. "I had a feeling that you'd be an alpha, and it looks like I was right." She tilted her head. "But, you really didn't feel anything? For most whelps, spring can be…overwhelming, like how the first transformation is."

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. I've never really thought about that kind of stuff. And I really didn't feel anything."

"I see." Pyrrha nodded. "Well, I guess I won't have to worry as much about you as I had thought. Still, stay close to me, okay?"

"Okay." Ruby thought for a second. "Should I apologize to Mercury for using the stare on him like that?"

"Absolutely not," Pyrrha said firmly. "He wouldn't have forced himself on you, but he should have backed off immediately when you didn't express interest. Besides, he shouldn't have been going after a whelp in the first place. I'll talk to Cinder about it tomorrow."

Cinder… At the mention of the leader's name, Ruby thought back to that moment when Cinder had looked at her. She hadn't been able to read her expression, but she had a feeling that the pack leader had watched her encounter with Mercury. What did that mean?

Still feeling confused and a little shaky, Ruby joined Pyrrha on her bed, curling up against the older girl for comfort as she fell asleep.

One of my headcanons concerning Ruby is that she's asexual, but romantically attracted to women. So, that's how I tend to write her. Are you glad to see Jaune finally talking with Pyrrha? I know I am! It only goes up from here. The next few chapters were even more fun to type, and I can't wait for you all to see them! Until next week, peace out.