Oh, I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to start posting chapters of this bad boy. I absolutely adore werewolves. While the vampire craze was taking over the nation, I was searching for the lesser-known werewolf books that were coming out at the same time but weren't getting the same amount of attention. Blood and Chocolate was the first werewolf book I read, and I still adore it to this day. Something about the transformation into a beast and the pack mentality often involved in such stories always attracts me.

This is a medieval AU where Grimm, Faunus, and Dust exist, but Aura, gun-weapons, and Semblances don't. A lot of themes in the canon-verse, such as racism against Faunus and Pyrrha's isolation due to being placed on a pedestal, will carry over here. I hope you enjoy it!

It was a cold night when ten year old Jaune snuck out of the house, holding one of his father's old daggers tightly in his tiny fist. His parents were both off on a hunt, leaving his older sister Mary, a Huntsman in training, in charge of the house. So, naturally, when he had heard scary sounds outside his window (which faced the dark woods that bordered the town of Vale), he went to her.

Twice, he went to her. Twice, she sent him back to his room, tiredly insisting that he was imagining things. The third time he heard the sound, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He was going to be a Huntsman when he grew up, after all. He couldn't afford to be afraid when his home was in danger.

He tried to keep this in mind as he walked through the grass, his legs trembling. The dagger felt heavy in his hand despite its small size. His wide, blue eyes reflected the shattered moon above and his lip trembled as he approached the tree line.

"H-Hey," he called, hating how high-pitched his voice sounded. "Whatever you are, go away! You aren't welcome in Vale." He tilted his head, waiting for a reply. When he heard nothing, he allowed a satisfied smirk to come to his face. Turning on his heel, he started walking toward the house with a spring in his step.

Then, he heard the sound again, the one that had summoned him from his bed. It was a cry, somewhere between a bark and a scream. It was faint, and he only heard it in his room because his window had been cracked. Hearing it now, without walls surrounding him, made his very marrow grow cold.

For a few seconds, his legs locked and he couldn't move. He couldn't even bring himself to call for help. He just stood there, clutching the dagger, which suddenly felt very useless.

He lost count of how many heartbeats pounded in his chest before the sound pierced the night once again. He shuddered, but realized something as he peered into the darkness: The sound hadn't moved. It was still coming from the same place. He waited a few heartbeats more before it sounded again.

This time, he heard an undertone of pain, like an injured dog's whine.

Jaune wanted to turn around and go inside. Whatever beast was in trouble, it was not his concern. It was likely a wolf or wild dog. Neither was worth saving.

But…what if it was a werewolf? The boy swallowed loudly at the thought. If a werewolf was in trouble, it could summon its entire monstrous pack to its location. Then, what would happen to Vale?

It would have been smart to find an adult Huntsman to handle this, but Jaune saw an opportunity to prove himself. What if he became a hero and killed a werewolf at the age of ten? His father would let him start training early! Heartened by that thought, Jaune took a deep breath and walked into the trees.

He stepped on practically every twig in his path and caused the brambles to rustle loudly. He winced inwardly at the noise he was making, but reasoned that the unknown beast probably knew where he was anyway. Besides, it was helpless to attack him if his theory of it being trapped in some manner was correct.

The sound echoed through the trees, much closer now. Jaune shivered, but bit his lip as he walked the last few strides. He rounded a tree and froze, his mouth dropping open in horror.

Crouched on the ground, green eyes glowing in the shadows, was the hunched form of a werewolf. Its canine face was turned in Jaune's direction. Its hand-like, five-fingered front paws were dug into the ground. Its tail was tucked between its hind legs, one of which was sticking out at an odd angle.

It took a moment for Jaune to realize that the ankle of that leg was tightly wrapped in a thorny branch. He could smell the blood from where he stood.

He had to act quickly! Taking a step forward, he brandished his dagger. The beast growled sharply and lunged at him. He jumped back with a yelp. The dagger went flying from his hands as he crashed into the bracken and shielded his face. He scrunched his eyes shut, cursing his foolishness. Now, he'd either die or be turned, which was basically the same thing in Vale.

He waited, feeling hot breath on his cheeks, but nothing else. Opening his eyes, he saw that the creature couldn't come any closer. The thorn branch had too tight a hold on its ankle. As a result, human and monster were practically nose-to-nose, but unable to attack the other.

Jaune started to sit up, only for the beast to give another warning snarl. He quickly lay back, swallowing loudly. Over time, he felt the resignation that came with being in such a helpless situation setting in. With that feeling, the fear ebbed away. Eventually, he found himself able to speak.

"So, what now?" he asked, more to break the silence than anything.

The werewolf's ears perked up and it tilted its head at him. Up close, he could see that its eyes were actually several shades of green. The main color was a bright emerald, but it was mixed with grassy-green and a few flecks of pine around the edges. They would have been beautiful on a human.

"I mean, neither of us can move," Jaune continued. "Your pack is probably too far away to hear you, or it would have come here by now."

At this, the beast let out a mournful keening noise that sounded surprisingly human.

Jaune frowned. "Wait, can you understand me?"

It huffed quietly and nodded its head.

After digesting this new information, Jaune wet his lips nervously. "Um, how about we make a deal?"

The creature tilted its head, perking its ears toward him again.

"Yeah," Jaune continued eagerly. "We'll make a deal!" His father would kill him if he ever found out, but right now, he just wanted to get home alive. "If I cut the thorn bush and let you go, do you promise to leave and never bring your pack to my village?"

The bushy tail of the beast started to actually wag back and forth in the face of this offer. The werewolf stepped backward, panting eagerly. It bobbed its head in what was clearly a nod.

Jaune swallowed. "Okay. I'm standing up, now." Slowly, he got to his feet. The werewolf stayed put. He still kept half an eye on it as he searched the bracken for the dagger. For a moment, he wondered if it was lost forever. Then, his toe nudged against the brass hilt.

Holding it tightly, he walked over to the beast's bound ankle. He couldn't help but wince when he saw it up close. A shaft of moonlight showed a mass of reddish-orange fur that was matted with blood. The thorn branch had wrapped itself around the ankle several times.

At that moment, he should have slit the beast's throat. It was helpless, and its guard was down. Killing it now would be easy. The thought caused an uncomfortable sensation to rise in Jaune's stomach. The creature could have easily killed him when he got up. If it was as much of a savage as werewolves were supposed to be, it would have. Yet, for some reason, it was holding perfectly still.

Also, something felt wrong about breaking his promise, even if it was a promise to an unholy beast. Huntsmen were supposed to be honorable, after all. With that in mind, Jaune turned his mind resolutely away from the monster's exposed throat and to its bound leg.

Carefully, he grabbed the branch and started sawing at it. Every time he tugged too hard, the wolf let out a whimper. He apologized without knowing why and tried to be gentler. He eventually managed to cut through. Carefully, he took the branch and started unwrapping it. When he finally pulled it off, blood flowed freely from the wound. He quickly jumped back. Even though he hadn't pricked his fingers, he couldn't risk mingling the werewolf's blood with his own. That would turn him as surely as any bite.

The werewolf moved away from him. In the process of doing that, it crawled into the moonlight, which illuminated the rest of its red fur. It bent its head and started licking at its bleeding ankle.

Jaune watched the beast with a small degree of fascination. He had been raised on stories of how werewolves were evil creatures that needed to be eliminated. But here was a creature acting every bit as harmless as an injured pup.

"You are just a pup, aren't you?" he realized. If the beast were to stand on its hind legs, it would be just a little taller than him.

The red wolf paused in its licking to look up at him. Its ears flattened and a very human-like grimace crossed its muzzle for a split second.

Jaune let out a small laugh when he saw the expression. "I guess we're both breaking the rules tonight, huh?" Before he realized what he was doing, he tore a thick strip from his blue sleep shirt and held out the cloth. "Here. Bind your ankle with that."

The werewolf's eyes widened. It stood perfectly still, looking as unsure as Jaune felt. Then, slowly, it limped over and reached out, taking the strip of cloth from him. For an instant, its furry paw brushed against Jaune's fingers. They both shivered and backed away from each other.

Jaune watched while the creature used its surprisingly-nimble hands to wrap its ankle. He looked up at the sky. If he wanted to hide the evidence of his little adventure, he'd have to hurry home. "I need to go, now," he said quietly. "Remember your promise, okay?"

The red wolf let out a soft bark and nodded before turning and running into the trees. Jaune waited for the sound of its pawsteps to fade before leaving the forest and going back to his house.

It wasn't until after he was in bed that the full magnitude of what he had done struck him. I saw a werewolf, one of the most feared beasts in the world, up close! he thought before his stomach twisted with shame. And I let it go.

He vowed that no one would ever learn of what he had done.

….

Eight Years Later

The attack came during the waxing moon, when only a few shards of the pale orb above were scattered across the sky, being slowly drawn back to the fattening oval. First, there were cracks and bangs as wooden doors and fences splintered and broke. Then came the screams. Finally, the dreadful howls ripped through the night as surely as fangs ripped through flesh.

The werewolves had come.

Jaune was woken by the screams even before his older sister came bursting into his room. He was already out of bed and fumbling for his armor. "Where are they?" he asked as he picked up his sword and shield.

"On the eastern side of town in the Faunus District, judging by the screams," Mary told him as she rushed toward the door ahead of him. "Father is already on his way."

The blood froze in Jaune's veins. Blake lived in the Faunus District, and Yang and Ruby's home was pretty close to it.

He ran so fast, he almost overtook his sister. For a few minutes, he forgot the familiar fear that surfaced before any battle. All that mattered was that his friends were in danger, and it was his job as a Huntsman to kill the beasts threatening them. Of course, nothing could have prepared him for the gruesome sight that awaited him.

The ground was littered with the corpses of livestock. Goats, sheep, and cattle oozed blood into the earth, staining it red. Darting, furry shapes appeared and disappeared behind buildings and shrubs. Then, the first one came close.

It was an ugly beast that crouched on all fours, but would likely be over six feet tall if it stood on its hind legs. Its wolfish face was broad, with a long snout filled with jagged teeth. Its forepaws were larger than milk saucers with five long, clawed fingers. A bushy tail swished back and forth in a grotesque imitation of a cheerful hound. Dark brown fur covered its body.

With a cry of rage, Jaune rushed forward, swinging his sword at the werewolf's face. It nimbly dodged to the side, swiping with its claws. Jaune barely raised his shield up in time. His sister lunged at the beast's side, jabbing with her own blade. The creature snapped at her, barely missing her shoulder.

Grunting with exertion, Jaune pushed forward, causing the wolf to stumble. That was all Mary needed to deliver the killing blow, driving her sword into its neck. She spared a brief smile before rushing into the fray again.

For a few bloody minutes, battles raged across the town. Then, as suddenly as the attack started, the wolves ran. The Huntsmen pursued them to the edge of the village, where their superior speed allowed them to escape. Reluctantly, the warriors withdrew. They had to tend to the injured and kill anyone who had been infected. Jaune cleaned his sword, feeling distinctly proud that he had managed to defend his home so well.

It wasn't until the following day, when the town elders made their announcement, that he found out the awful result of that night: Ruby Rose and Blake Belladona were dead. The beasts had devoured them, leaving only two pools of blood behind.

That morning, everyone was busy cleaning up. Jaune felt numb. The announcement from the Elders rang in his ear, as did Weiss's horrified scream. Yang hadn't been present for the town meeting. She had been the one to find the pools in Blake's house, which had been wholly destroyed.

"She was returning a book," Yang was muttering in a hollow voice when Jaune saw her later on. "She just…wanted to return that stupid ninja book…" He decided to leave her alone for a little while.

Ren and Nora met up with Jaune as he helped drag yet another corpse to the funeral pyre in the center of town. It was a werewolf. He eyed it, noting that its fur was black, not red. He checked every werewolf for the green eyes and red fur he had seen when he was a child. So far, he had seen none. That was a small comfort. He had told no one about his little encounter a few years back and had no intention of doing so, especially now.

Still, if he found that werewolf's corpse among the others, he would never forgive himself. He would spend the rest of his life wondering if the beast he had once let go had been the one to kill his friends.

As he tossed the body onto the stack, Nora touched his arm. "Are you doing okay?"

Jaune breathed a shaky sigh. "I've…been better." He didn't trust himself to talk too much. He'd probably start crying.

All he could think about were the bright, silver eyes of his best friend. He remembered how they had shined when she showed him the rare battle scythe her uncle had given her. He thought about when they were kids and planned on being great Huntsmen. He remembered her dragging him into the forest to try and get a glimpse of a Grimm when he was nine and she was seven, only for both of them to get a solid thrashing from their parents later.

He hadn't been as close to Blake, but he still missed her presence. She was like Ren: quiet, withdrawn, but always willing to support those close to her.

Ren seemed to understand Jaune's struggle. "We can talk about it when we're done here."

"Thank you," Jaune sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "Yang and Weiss are taking it the worst."

"Losing your best friend and little sister in one night…" Nora shook her head. "I can't imagine that. And Weiss was gonna finally confess to Ruby."

"Wait, what?" Most of their friends had known for a while that Weiss and Ruby had feelings for each other. Jaune felt a distinct prickling behind his eyes as he thought of the village's "Ice Queen" preparing to put herself on the line and declare her love, only for this to happen. The scream from before echoed in his head.

"That…That just makes this even worse, somehow." Jaune's throat tightened and he had to scrunch his eyes shut and take a few deep breaths to keep from sobbing right then and there. When he looked up, he saw Nora wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I shouldn't have mentioned it."

Ren touched her shoulder. "Come on. There's still a lot of cleaning up to do."

Before they could move, however, a loud crash followed by a scream caused them to turn around. A crowd of people had gathered a bit down the street and were surrounding a brown-haired rabbit Faunus.

"Velvet!" Jaune immediately broke into a run, followed closely by Ren and Nora. He started shoving through the crowd, trying to get to the center. As he did, he felt his heart sink at the snippets of conversation he heard.

"Better to be safe than sorry."

"No good having that sort in our village."

"The attack was concentrated in the Faunus District. Everyone knows werewolves are drawn to them."

When the three Huntsmen got to the center of the crowd, they saw Velvet brandishing a dagger in one hand while the other rested on her sword hilt. Cardin and his three friends were surrounding her, their weapons drawn.

"Hey, what's going on?" Nora asked, holding her hammer in a feigned-casual manner.

Cardin sneered. "Beat it. We're just killing another cursed animal."

"I wasn't bitten!" Velvet protested, her ears twitching fearfully.

"Your arm's bleeding!" Russel pointed out.

"It scratched me. Scratches don't turn people!"

"Yeah, but you're a Faunus," Cardin said, his eyes narrowing. "Everyone knows your kind is more likely to turn, since you're already part beast."

"That's not true, and you know it!" Jaune snapped, drawing his sword and planting himself between Cardin and Velvet. "We'll show her to the village healer, just like everyone else who was injured. He'll know whether or not she's cursed."

"That's right," Ren added. "There's no need for a mob, not when we still have repairs to make."

Nora peered over the heads of the gathered humans. "Oh, hi Yatsu!" She waved as she saw the large warrior making his way toward the crowd, an angry expression on his face. "You guys might want to clear off, unless you want to tell him what you're trying to do to his wife."

That was enough to quiet the mob. By the time Yatsuhashi reached the group, everyone had scattered, including Cardin and his cronies.

The quiet man glanced at the three before pulling Velvet into a hug. "Are you okay?"

Velvet nuzzled her cheek against his broad chest. "Yes. I was scared that I'd have to fight them. It's a good thing Jaune, Ren, and Nora came when they did. If I had been forced to hurt someone…" She shuddered at the thought of what the village would have done then.

"Thank you for the help," Yatsuhashi said. "We've already been to the healer. She's not infected."

"I figured," Jaune replied, sheathing his sword. "Of course, those idiots wouldn't have listened to that."

"Probably not," Velvet agreed, hugging Yatsu one more time before standing up straight. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I liked Blake and Ruby a lot, but I know how much closer you all were to them. Give our regards to Yang and Weiss as well."

"We will. Thanks." Jaune managed a smile. "Let us know if anyone gives you trouble again. Even you two might need help if another mob gathers."

"We're spending the night at Fox and Coco's house," Velvet assured him. "We're also letting the other Faunus in town know that they should probably not be in their homes tonight."

Nora let out a snort of disgust. "I still can't believe people are so stupid."

Ren shrugged helplessly. "Well, stupid or not, it's our job to help and protect them. Let's get back to work."

The three worked tirelessly throughout the day before going home. The following morning, they found out that Velvet's house, along with three other Faunus homes, had been burned to the ground. No one was particularly surprised.

This is going to be more of a slow-burn Arkos story, just so you're aware. As in, Jaune and Pyrrha won't meet again until the fifth chapter. Don't worry, though. There will be plenty of moments to please your shipping hearts as well as your werewolf-loving hearts. Admit it. You all love werewolves just as much as I do.

Also, I'm still open for commissions. Two of five slots have been filled. Message me for details!

Peace out!