Chapter 5: Escaping failed

"Whaa?" Alpha Ivan asked, shoving a berry in his mouth as I kept staring at him in astonishment.

One hour ago, he was a broad intimidating handsome man and now, a cute panda. Almost a panda because that tummy got abs instead of a big bouncy belly.

"Are you choking to death or you're just trying to eat everything at once because it's tasty?" I asked, still surprised and idle in movement.

He held up his finger, indicating to wait as he munched on the strawberries he had them squished in his mouth. About a minute later, he gulped, shoving berries in his mouth.

"What? I eat when I'm stressed." He murmured, turning away back to the view of the balcony.

I had to leave but I wanted to talk with him. Maybe he will be honest with me? Or solve this unexplainable no mate effect thing?

I walked over to his side with dumb steps, "Why are you stressed?- If you want to say... no forcing." I muttered curtly.

He sighed, frowning. "Did you lie or do you really not feel anything towards me?"

"I really don't." Curse at me for being so blunt.

He didn't utter a word and instead took a mouthful of berries in his mouth.

"Stop shoving it in your mouth or else you will choke on it." I tried to take away his bowl but he moved it away from my reach and glared at me.

It's supposed to look like a very intimidating scary glare but it rather looked like a

5-year-old trying to look intimidating with all the candies shoved in his mouth.

I bit down my laugh, pursing my lips as I cleared my throat. "Sorry."

He nodded, satisfied with my reply, and went back to shoving more of those berries in his mouth. I took this chance to ask him the question that has been bugging in my mind.

"Are you speaking the truth? You know me being your mate... maybe your wolf sensed someone else and it was mistaken, it could happen you know-" I stopped as his side glared intensified with a touch of his wolf's eyes.

Oh crap! I really am asking for a death wish.

"I can never be wrong. I smelled your scent and it is you, who will be my mate and luna to the pack of Shadow howl." He said with a different tone that held superiority and made my legs jelly in fear.

"I- um..." His eyes were golden and that meant his wolf was out. That isn't a good sign for any wolf and I'm just a human.

Alpha wolves hate it when someone challenges them, especially someone from a low rank and I'm probably rank lower than that, definitely under the rock.

I clapped my hands and pointed outside. "OMG! look, strawberry clouds!" I shouted.

That seemed to work and I quickly ran off, slamming my door shut and locking it.

"Now, how will I escape?!" I muttered as I waited for him to barge in my room but it never happened.

"I guess, I can escape now?" I tiptoed to my door and cautiously opened it, imagining the big alpha standing before my door and ready to squash my face in the bowl of berries.

Anger makes you do anything.

I peeked my head out, looking around and at the sides. Everything was silent as if someone just said a bad joke. It's good for me though, it makes it easier to escape.

I delayed no more and slung my baggage over my shoulder and ran out of the room with a deafening sound.

I can finally escape now.

Alpha Ivan's POV

"This isn't gonna work. We need to do something sweeter for her. Dad did the same for mom when she usually was angry or upset." I mumbled, pacing in my room with the same bowl of berries I have decided to eat till the last berry.

"That was your dad and mom. This is her. She's different and we never ever mingled with her. The only way is to mark her and she will feel the mate connection." ​My wolf spoke, named Vance.

"It's not easy. We can't force her, remember she can't feel anything for us." I said, slumping on my bed.

"That was a good chance to mark her..."

"Yet you got distracted by strawberry clouds." I chuckled, finding her cute distraction to run away.

"Whatever."​

I could feel him scowling at me. He blocked our talk and left me alone with my thoughts.

"We're going to take her tomorrow. Don't worry. I'll make her fall in love with me." I said before falling deep in the slumber.

...........

"What do you mean she's gone!?" I asked through the mind-link as my gamma informed Clara about running off.

"She's not in her room with her belongings and her scent is everywhere but it seems she ran away." My gamma, Taylor replied curtly.

I growled through the mind-link and ordered them to search for her. "She can't go that far since we're in werewolf territory."

"I told you we should've marked her," ​Vance said, blaming me partly.

"That would've scared her more. Let's just focus on searching for her." I told him and left the room, coming in reach with all the exasperated cries for my mate.

"If that girl thinks this was a cool idea, I will rip her hair off." Her best friend grumbled before me who's back was faced to me.

I growled, instantly jumping into a protective stance for my mate. Nobody should harm her and I don't care if it's her best friend or not.

She noticed my presence and gulped audibly, quickly apologizing. "I'm so sorry, alpha."

I nodded, leaving her sight as I walked over to my other men.

"Did you find anything?" I asked, watching the house members going berserk at her disappearance.

It is good to know they matter about her a lot.

"If something happens to her, I won't be able to forgive myself. Oh dear, where are you?" A middle-aged lady muttered, looking around for my mate.

"Any signs of where could she be?" I asked to which of my men shook their heads. I sighed, "Search the parameters and the houses. She can't leave."

They bowed their heads before leaving as I walked over to panicked Alpha Gray. Alpha's don't show their emotion usually to keep their pack members strong and to respect them but this case seems different.

"Alpha Ivan, you're his mate. You can smell her scent stronger than us. Please do something." He begged which was pretty shocking.

Alpha never lowers themselves down but this just proves losing my mate affects them all in not a good way.

"She really is something,"​ Vance said.

I agreed to Vance and answered a panicking alpha. "I'll try that. Don't worry, she is definitely here."

I focused on her scent but it came more of a mingled scent with other werewolves. I pushed down the thought of other werewolves being near her and focused on her scent again.

"Got anything?" Alpha gray asked, biting his lips in worry. Her mate was comforting her as she looked everywhere to spot Clara.

The scent is strong but where is it coming from?...

"It's coming from somewhere beneath us."

"Do you have a basement?" Alpha gray nodded quickly and showed me the way to its entrance.

"She couldn't possibly be in a basement, right?" I asked my wolf, confused about why the scent came from the basement.

"Remember, she's different." ​He had a point.

She's way different than I expected because as we entered the basement, where she was with some old ugly rotting spirits with UNO cards in their hands.

"UNO! I won! Hah! Give me my reward." Clara said, throwing her cards on the stack of other cards.

"She's weird too..."

"I agree." I thought, looking at her teasing the old spirits who were sulking in the corner.