"Hardly. Tell me who you are and why you're hanging around high school lacrosse games. Who is your alpha?"

“The murder victim. How many in your pack?”

This nearly stops her short. But she carries on, keeping to her training. "We're new in town and only just establishing our territory. Who killed your alpha?"

She knows it wasn't him, anyone who kills an alpha becomes one themself. And this man was definitely not an alpha. She's not quite sure what he is, she's never heard of someone with blue wolf eyes before.

“If it’s not you, my money’s on whoever made that beta.“

"Where are the other members of your pack?"

Perhaps this was a case of a beta getting too ambitious.

“I came here to investigate my alpha’s murder, not get in your way. If you think you can handle this alpha without me, I’ll stay out of your way.”

"What you can do is leave town. That's about as out of the way as one can be. If I see you again... I will not be as accommodating as I am now."

She’s an alpha. She’s an alpha, and he can’t win this fight, and Laura is dead.

”Find out who killed her, and make them pay. You won’t see me again.”

"You can count on it. Now run."

He’s not very fast about it by her standards, but he runs.

She gives him a head start and starts off after him. Not quite catching up to him, but hounding his heels and pushing him forward.

As fast as he possibly can is still too slow.

Her prey will only escape if she chooses that. 

She chooses that. By her family's code she can't kill him. She can't prove he's done anything wrong. But that doesn't mean she can't make him fear her. Fear is the only thing that wolves understand. She herds him to the edge of town, hounding his every step.

He leaves. It was a mistake coming back, anyway.

She watches him go from the edge of town to make sure he doesn't have second thoughts.

He doesn’t look back.

Good.

She pulls out her phone and calls her sister.

“Everything okay?”

She has no idea who is on the other end listening in, so she keeps it tight. "Yup. Just finished my run. Met some creepy guy on the path, but I'm pretty sure I scared him off. I'll tell you more about it later. Where are you?"

"With mom and dad. I didn't want to give Scott too many ideas this early, but we have a date tomorrow night. Mom approves. Dad thinks it's risky."

"Bit of both, probably. You guys at home? I'm on the southern edge of town, it'll take me a sec to get back. I don't super want to talk here."

"Get home safe."

"Always do," she says as she hangs up.

Her family is waiting for her when she gets home. Dinner is ready, and Victoria immediately busies herself with reheating. Her husband assists.

"So, Regan, Allison tells us you met someone interesting. Care to fill us in?"