Happy Friday, everyone! This is a chapter that I've really been looking forward to posting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed typing it.

I'd like to respond to a review I got on my previous chapter. I try to respond to reviews, especially longer ones, but this person was a guest, so I couldn't. They expressed disappointment at the Deus Ex Machina nature of the alpha stare, and the fact that it seems too powerful. I can assure you that the stare, and other powers, do have limits. You will see later on in the story that there are very negative effects of using them too often. That being said, I'm not going to abruptly change how the stare works in the middle of the story or have it not be used. When a character has a power, it's cheap to not use it when it would be most useful.

As for Perry being able to influence Weiss, remember that she was hesitating at the moment he tapped into her emotions. She was unsure of what to do, and he nudged her in the direction of mercy. Huntsmen have been killing werewolves for years in this story. Those who are determined to kill will not be affected by calming attempts while in the heat of battle. If omega powers had more of an effect, there would be fewer dead werewolves after those full moon hunts.

Trust me, I strongly believe in balancing out powers and strong abilities. For every strength, there needs to be a weakness. Stick with me, okay?

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

"I can't believe we're doing this." There was no hiding the glee on Yang's face and the mocking laugh in her voice. Her eyes glittered as Weiss shot her a glare. "I knew there was a 'lewd' side to you. I just knew it!"

"Oh, shut up," Weiss snapped, her cheeks already bright red. "I'm doing this for Blake. Her books got burned when Cardin and his cronies pulled their little stunt. I just thought she'd be more comfortable if she could read something. She's probably scared out of her mind and will need something familiar once we get her back."

This sobered Yang's smirk, though only slightly. "It's nice that you're doing this…but Blake would be mocking you too, so I'm gonna make sure to live up to what she'd expect of me."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "If you insist on being an immature oaf about it…" She checked the map in her hand. "Okay, it should be at the next crossroad."

They had traveled a few miles from Vale early that morning, following instructions Weiss had managed to gather concerning a certain trader who carried stock that wasn't considered appropriate in polite society. This included books that would make the churchgoers of Vale turn pale with shock.

The two rounded a corner, and a bright orange covered wagon immediately came into view. It was parked in the grass in the grass, overlooking the various paths that the crossroads took, in a perfect position to catch the eye of any travelers. A chestnut horse grazed placidly, in stark contrast to the hat-wearing man, who jumped up as the girls approached, swinging a black cane over his arm.

"Well, well! I wouldn't have expected to see two lovely ladies coming by this early! Welcome to Torchwick Wares, the best things that your traditional markets will never sell. I'm Roman Torchwick. Pleased to make your acquaintance!" The man had a light, easygoing voice that just barely concealed the calculating look in his dark eyes.

Weiss jumped a little at the exuberant greeting, but quickly recovered. "Hello. I have been told that you carry certain books."

Roman's eyes twinkled. "Well, well. This little princess is looking for something a bit outside the small-town experience, eh?" He snapped his fingers, completely disregarding Weiss's outraged sputtering and Yang's loud snort of amusement. "Neo! The books, please."

There was a rustle in the wagon before a small girl emerged, carrying a box that was almost as big as she was. She was an odd-looking girl, with heterochromatic eyes and hair dyed brown and pink to match them. Despite her size, she looked as if she was close to Weiss and Yang's age, maybe a year or two younger at most. She set the box down with a tiny grunt.

"Here ya go, missy. What's your pleasure?" Roman asked, waving his cane at the box.

"They're for a friend of mine," Weiss was quick to say. However, Roman's wide smirk told her that she should have just kept quiet.

"Ah. A friend. I gotcha," Roman said with an exaggerated wink. "Don't worry, princess. What the customer buys is the customer's business. We merchants don't gossip. Much."

The small girl, Neo, covered her mouth to hide a giggle.

Weiss' huffed, hating how red her face was becoming. "Yang," she muttered. "Please tell the gentleman that we're buying these for our friend." There was a pause. "Yang!"

Yang, who had been eying Neo, blinked and turned to Weiss. "Huh? Oh, what friend?" Her eyes shimmered mischievously. "I thought you said something about expanding your library."

"Yang!" Weiss snapped.

Yang burst out laughing. "Sorry, sorry! Maidens, you should see your face right now."

Roman was chuckling quietly. "Hope this doesn't keep you from coming back in the future, princess. We just like messing with people sometimes. Eh, Neo?"

Neo nodded, winking at Weiss before flashing a grin in Yang's direction.

"Neo, huh?" Yang returned Neo's smile and held out her hand. "Well, I'm Yang. You been in the merchant business long?"

"All my life," Neo replied in a quiet voice that contrasted starkly with her confident eyes. She shook Yang's hand, lightly gripping the taller girl's wrist.

"You'll have to forgive her," Roman said. "She's not much of a talker with anyone but me. Not sure if that makes me the lucky one or not."

Neo stuck her tongue out at Roman.

During the exchange, Weiss had been sifting through the books, barely keeping from verbally expressing her disapproval at some of the titles. She knew that anything she said now would only invite more mockery. Then, she found one that she recognized. It was bound with cheap black leather. The words "Ninjas of Love" were printed on the spine. "Yang, was this the one Blake liked?"

Yang walked over and peered at the title. "Yeah, that's the one."

"Blake? You know Blake?" Roman's voice took on a sad tone as the girls turned to look at him again. "I heard she was killed in a werewolf raid. She didn't come by on the day she usually does, so…" His eyes were troubled and his mouth was drawn in a sad line.

"I'm afraid so," Weiss said. She didn't have to fake the sadness in her voice, as thinking of Blake brought back her worries about her friend being stuck with Adam. "She was a good friend of ours."

"Ah…" Roman took off his hat and bowed his head. "That's a shame. She was a bit feisty for her own good, but she was a good kid. Got on well with Neo. Had a good eye for merchandise."

Neo also bowed her head, her mismatched eyes showing genuine sympathy and sadness.

Yang shifted. Part of her wanted to share the secret of Blake's whereabouts with these two merchants. Even though she didn't know them, she hated the sadness on their faces. It definitely seemed real, and not just a ploy to get customers to like them.

"Thank you." Weiss smiled at the two. After a moment of silence, she held out the book. "How much for this one?"

Roman put on his hat and eyed the book. "That'll be three silvers." He paused, biting his lip before adding: "And take another one on me."

Weiss blinked. "Are you sure?" Books, even trashy ones like these, were valuable. Printing, binding, and writing out all of the pages took forever.

Roman nodded. "Yeah. Think of it as a consolation present. Blake was a valued customer, after all. I hope you, your 'friend,' or whoever reads it thinks of her while reading." He paused. "Well, maybe not while reading…"

Neo snorted loudly, likely to cover another giggle. "Roman, that's rude."

"Hey, Blake would've laughed!" Roman shrugged. "Look, she's laughing."

Yang was snickering loudly, though she bit her lip when Weiss glared at her. "What? It was funny."

"You are impossible." Weiss shook her head before taking another book from the box. It was called: Knights in the Night. The title was so horrible, she had to force herself to not roll her eyes. "I'll take this one." She handed Roman three silver pieces and put both books in her satchel. "Thank you for your sympathy, Mister Torchwick."

"Just Roman, missy." Roman winked as he pocketed the money. "And what's your name? Your friend introduced herself, but you didn't."

"I'm Weiss."

"Weiss Schnee? Daughter of one of the Elders?" Roman barked another laugh. "Oh, princess. I hope you have a safe place to hide these little devils. Your poor daddy would probably drop dead if he saw them on your nightstand."

"Ugh…" Weiss groaned, not bothering to retaliate.

"Anyway, I hope to see you lovely ladies again." Roman bowed courteously. "I'll be restocking at the end of the month, and will have some exotic perfumes and hairpieces."

"Oh, we'll be back," Yang said before Weiss could reply. She was giving Neo a sideways glance as she spoke. Her smile widened when the small girl blushed and looked away with a coy smirk.

As the two walked down the path back to Vale, Weiss berated Yang. "Honestly, could you have been more blatant with your flirting?"

"Hey, she totally liked me!" Yang protested. "You saw her looking at me."

"Of course she looked at you. You were a customer." Weiss rolled her eyes. Normally, she would have lectured her friend the rest of the way home, but she decided to let it go this time. She's probably stressed about the rescue tonight. If making eyes at a merchant girl helps, I suppose it's harmless enough.

"So…" Yang said, grinning widely. "Think you'll sneak a peek at those books before giving them to Blake?"

Weiss didn't say anything. She just swung her heavy, book-filled satchel around so that it hit Yang in the stomach, causing the larger girl to let out a satisfying "Oof!"

….

Jaune, Ren, and Nora walked back into town carrying several freshly-killed rabbits. This had been an actual hunt, and not a meeting with Pyrrha and Ruby. Weiss had spoken to Pyrrha, exchanging details concerning where they'd meet that night. It had been decided that both parties would do well to rest throughout the day.

Though Jaune was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't get to see Ruby and Pyrrha, he understood. Still, with Blake's rescue looming so close, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. Besides his worries concerning the rescue itself, he also was considering how things would go afterward.

Blake would probably join Cinder's pack and continue to live with Ruby and Pyrrha. Would the meetings stop then? Seeing Ruby and Pyrrha every day was a big risk, for both the humans and the werewolves involved. Would it just be safer to let the werewolves live their lives while the Huntsmen returned to theirs?

Probably, but Jaune had a feeling that that wouldn't happen. Yang wouldn't stop wanting to see her sister, and Weiss was just as in love with Ruby as before. Also, Jaune didn't want this to end. Not only did he want to keep seeing Ruby, but he really wanted to get to know Pyrrha better.

The fact that they had been reunited after so many years couldn't just be coincidence. And there had been Pyrrha's dream of bringing the humans and werewolves together. When Jaune thought about it, he almost smiled.

No, he thought. We won't just stop seeing each other. We'll figure something out.

"Whatcha thinking about, Jaune?" Nora asked, looking up at him.

"Just…thinking about tonight," Jaune muttered, shrugging a shoulder. Maybe later, once they saved Blake, he'd tell the others what Pyrrha had told him. Would they like the idea, or just find it crazy?

"Yeah, me too." Nora glanced toward Ren as she spoke, turquoise eyes shining with worry. Ren was going to disguise his scent and go into the territory after Ruby. Ruby would sneak into the camp and get Blake out, while Ren, armed with Dust vials, would provide backup against any pursuers. Half of the group would provide a distraction further south of where Ruby and Ren would enter. The other half would wait for the two to return with Blake, ready to fight any pursuers.

Ren's nerves were tense, but he managed to keep his expression neutral as he ruffled Nora's hair. "I'll be fine, Nora. No one is stealthier than me. Except Blake, of course."

Jaune patted Ren's shoulder. "I know you'll do fine. And we'll be ready to back you up if things get dicey."

The three talked a bit more as they went to the center of town to give their kills to communal kitchens, which fed the homes that didn't have hunters caring for them. Jaune kept two rabbits for his family, and Ren and Nora kept one for themselves. They split off to rest at their respective houses.

Nora was quiet while she helped Ren clean and dress the meat. Once the pot was bubbling, Ren sat down next to her on her bed and looped an arm around her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Not really," Nora sighed, hugging him around the middle. "Do you have to go by yourself? Can't I go with you?"

Ren rested his head on top of Nora's. "More people will increase the chance of being caught. I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

Though he should have said that there was no way to promise such a thing, Ren found himself unable to do so when he looked at those wide, earnest turquoise eyes. "Okay," he murmured instead.

Nora smiled, reaching up to tap his nose. "Boop."

Ren hugged her closer, shutting his eyes and letting out a sigh. Sometimes, he wondered if Nora even knew how much of an effect she had on him. With a cheerful word or warm hug, she could completely destroy any fears or doubts in his mind. Ever since they were little, she had been his rock. Yet, she often talked as if he was the one constantly supporting her.

I'll get through this, he thought, his mind hardening with determination. For Blake, and for Nora.

….

Ruby curled up next to a sleeping Pyrrha, staring at the entrance of the cave. There was little to do at the moment, and she knew that her friend was tired from spending most of the night checking to make sure Perry hadn't escaped.

Apparently, the omega wolf had tried to run once. A slash to the shoulder from Pyrrha's claws and a very long session with her alpha stare mellowed him down, however. Pyrrha had been incredibly tired afterward, and had fallen asleep nursing a terrible headache.

Over the course of the night, it had occurred to Pyrrha that releasing Perry after rescuing Blake would not be an option. He knew too much, and if he told Adam that wolves from Cinder's pack were allied with Huntsmen, it could provoke a war between the packs.

Ruby mulled over her friend's panicked realization and sighed. A few weeks ago, killing a werewolf would have been easy. Now, however, she wasn't sure if she could do it. If one attacked her, she'd kill in self-defense, but this wasn't like killing a Grimm or a wild animal. Perry was a person, just as much as she was. Killing him just to keep a secret felt so wrong.

A rustle outside caused her to sit up, just in time to see Mercury peeking his head into the den. His eyes met hers and he nodded. "Follow me."

Ruby frowned a little, thinking back to a few nights ago.

Mercury seemed to read her gaze. "Don't worry. I learned my lesson. Cinder wants to see you. Alone," he added when Ruby started to reach for Pyrrha.

"Alone?" Ruby blinked. "Why-?"

"Just follow me." Mercury ducked back out of the den.

Once he was gone, Pyrrha opened one eye. "Go ahead, Ruby. Let me know what happens."

Ruby nodded. "Got it." She crawled out of the cave and followed Mercury. He led her around the different dens until they reached the largest one that was set right in the face of the mountain's base. Cinder was sitting at the entrance, watching the rest of the territory impassively. Emerald was nearby.

Cinder looked up as Ruby approached, and beckoned for the girl to sit down. "Hello, Ruby," she murmured once Ruby was seated. "How are you adjusting to your new abilities?"

"Uh, very well," Ruby replied. "Thank you, Leader." She glanced around, suddenly very aware that she was the only one wearing clothes. That was still one aspect of werewolf culture that she hadn't grown used to.

"I have called you here to discuss your position in the pack, both now and later," Cinder continued, staring at Ruby with her intimidating, gold eyes. "You are aware that there aren't many alphas in this pack."

Ruby nodded slowly. "Yeah. There's you, Pyrrha, me, and…uh…" She frowned. She couldn't think of any others.

"There are three others. You will meet them later," Cinder said brusquely. "It is important that the alphas of a pack remain united. Otherwise, it is impossible for it to function. Do you understand?"

"Sure," Ruby replied. "We need to provide strong leadership for the betas and omegas." She had plenty of experience leading hunts with her friends in Vale, after all. A pack wasn't too different.

"Exactly." A hint of a smile appeared on Cinder's face. "Then, we understand each other."

Ruby swallowed before asking: "Um, Leader? Why didn't you want Pyrrha here too? I know she wants a united pack."

The smile vanished from Cinder's face. "What Pyrrha truly wants remains to be seen. I will only say this: You can have a very good life here if you learn your place and think of the pack as a whole." She stood. "You will be on the hunt tonight. That is all."

Ruby barely kept the panic from her eyes. "Oh, uh, tonight?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "Did you have something else planned? Something more important than feeding your pack?"

There was no way to refuse without letting on to their secret. Ruby's shoulders slumped and she shook her head. "No, Leader."

"Good." Cinder started to walk toward the other dens before pausing. "Tell Pyrrha that she is to be on the hunt as well."

Ruby nearly fainted on the spot. Forcing her face to keep a neutral expression, she nodded and stood, allowing Emerald to escort her back to the den. She waited for several minutes before speaking to Pyrrha, once she was sure that Emerald or Mercury wasn't listening outside.

"This is bad, Pyrrha!" she hissed. "Who will save Blake now? We can't postpone to another night! Not with Perry where he is!"

Pyrrha closed her eyes and squeezed her hands together, taking several deep breaths to calm herself down. She thought carefully, trying to figure a way out of this. Every scenario, however, ended with Cinder becoming far too suspicious. Finally, she opened her eyes. They couldn't avoid the hunt. We can't avoid it. But, the whole pack won't be on this hunt. Some will remain here. A plan formed in her mind.

"We have to go on the hunt," she murmured. "There's no way to avoid it."

"Then, what-?" Ruby started to say.

"Cinder suspects us," Pyrrha continued. "At the very least, she doesn't want us out of her sight. We can't help Blake." She looked at Ruby's distraught face and smiled soothingly. "All hope isn't lost, Ruby. However, I think we need to share our secret with a few others if we want to keep it from Cinder."

A few minutes later, the two were in Sun's den. The blond Faunus was sitting cross-legged, a piece of cloth thrown over his waist for the sake of Ruby's comfort. He tilted his head at them, frowning at their tense silence.

"So," he urged, glancing between them with some wariness. "What did you two want to talk to me about?"

The image of Weiss buying Blake new lewd books and getting teased relentlessly for it was in my mind basically since I started typing this story. It was too freaking perfect! The Baked Alaska bit came out of nowhere. I blame momoxtoshiro for typing so many adorable fics with Yang and Neo. I have a weakness for ships with height differences, dangit!

I'm also a huge fan of typing Roman as an ally. His personality is just so fun, and I feel that, if he hadn't been killed off so stupidly in the show, he would have been a major candidate for a redemption arc. Oh well.

Next week, we finally get to see the rescue. The moment you've all been waiting for! Dun dun DUN! Peace out.