Northstar Vale take control

There was a kick of speed that put Jinx marginally ahead of Raheerah. Silently, the female celebrated, believing she would be free of them after all. She would take back the precious root to her pack as a trophy of their triumph over Northstar Vale, and a reminder that the monk wolves were weak and inept. No doubt Fox would be pleased with her success. Jinx was so certain she would escape that she didn't even notice Xi'nuata approaching from a ledge overhead.

All too suddenly, the creme-and-auburn bitch hit the ground in front of her and turned with jaws wide. Jinx clutched the root, slamming on the brakes as best she could to avoid the heft female's hit, but in doing so, she forgot Raheerah. She felt his teeth close on her foot and hissed vehemently, but it was too late to save herself. With her leg pulled out beneath her, she went down hard on her side, and the impact knocked the root out of her mouth. She tasted blood from where her lower teeth had driven into her tongue.

"Fuck you," she spat at the dusky grey wolf, bristling like a caged lion. In that instant, a dark-furred male leapt between her and them, presumably helping her. It took a moment for her to recognize Haunter, but when she did, she was relieved. She had initially got the impression that the wolf was very much about himself and no other, a reality that Jinx herself subscribed to, for the most part. It seemed he wasn't so selfish after all.