Reluctant Crossword Clue

“Are you crying?" She shook her head and wiped at her face as more tears were falling. “I’m so stupid.” she groaned. "Now I am truly and utterly alone. If I had just said yes to marrying him, none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have dragged you into this mess.” Without warning, I turned sharp to the side, putting the car to a sudden stop close to the curb. “Don’t ever say that again. You think marrying a man you don’t love, a man who doesn’t care if he hurts you, just to please your family is the right thing to do?” I turned to her slowly. “That would’ve ruined you.” “But I would’ve had a home to go to, I would’ve been taken care of. Now I have nothing,” she looked away. I reached over and gently took her bruised hand in mine. “You did the hardest thing anyone in your position could have done. You saved yourself. That takes more guts than standing there and pretending to be happy.” I tucked a hair behind her ear. “You think you are alone? You’re not… you have me.” ___ Alina Etienne has always lived a life dictated by her parents. She is groomed to be an obedient daughter, a perfect public image, and now, a bride to a man she doesn’t know or love. On her wedding day, crushed by the weight of expectations, Alina does the unthinkable... she says “I don’t” and flees the altar. On the run and scared with nowhere to go, she crosses paths with Mikhail Antonov. A cold, guarded man with a past he doesn’t talk about. What began as a reluctant act of kindness turned into something neither of them expected.

"I, Alpha Zeke of the Bloodcrawl Pack, reject you, Ivy Hale, as my mate." "I, Ivy Hale, do not accept your rejection." She was supposed to cry, plead, beg—but she didn’t. Instead, Ivy smirked, teased, and made it her mission to get under his cold, controlled skin. Zeke is the ultimate Alpha: dominant, unyielding, and impossible to sway. Ivy? Bold, fiery, and stubborn enough to challenge him at every turn. Now, she’s everywhere he doesn’t want her—sparring in his training ground, lounging in his favorite chair, whispering sass that makes his wolf restless. Will Ivy’s audacity be enough to break the unbreakable Alpha? Or will family secrets, deadly pack politics,and a past that refuses to stay buried tear them apart before they even admit their bond? Enemies-to-mates, playful, steamy, and full of sass. EXPOSITION The Bloodcraw pack is one of the largest and most disciplined pack in the Northern Territory, led by Alpha Zeke, a stoic, emotionally closed off leader shaped by betrayal and loss. When the moon marks Ivy Hale as Zeke's mate, shock ripples through the pack. Unknown the Ivy, her parents were accused of betraying Zeke's family leading to the death of his parents. The meeting Zeke called turns into a spectacle when Zeke publicly rejects her. Everyone expects tears, pleas and reluctant submission. Instead, Ivy smirks and refuses to accept the rejection, boldly declaring that she'll remain his mate - whether he likes it or not. From that moment, the pack watched their Alpha's composure slowly unravel. Zeke tries avoiding her but she clings to him - arguing that since she didn't accept his rejection, the mate bond was still valid. He begins to find her in places she wasn't supposed to be - places like his chambers, office and personal training center.

“You know what you have to do,” Blake said, his eyes bearing hatred into Cassandra, “You don’t like me.” “No,” Cassandra answered, she had been rehearsing how to sound nice while she rejected his proposal but it was impossible. “What?” He asked surprised “I said no, I am sorry, I can’t do that.” She muttered. “You don’t have any idea what you are signing up for, do you?” He asked, both his hands balled into fists on the table, while she watched him silently. “How much did my grandfather pay you?” He asked again and then she looked away from his magnetic gaze, feeling embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I told Mr. McKnight that I would marry you. I don’t think anything would change my mind.” She feigned confidence, holding onto her own hands to stop them from trembling. “We can just try to get along.” “Get along? What was I expecting from a gold-digger?” he asked with deep seething frustration. “You all are the same.” I wanted to ask what he meant by that but I couldn’t. “This wouldn’t be easy I assure you, princess, there would be a price to pay, a fucking expensive one.” He gets up and puts on his cap. “See you later, dear wife.” Unable to say a word she watched him storm away, her heart hammering painfully at his threat. Cassandra’s life took a total turn when her uncle forced her to get married to his partner’s grandson. Even though she was reluctant at first but then she didn’t have a choice but to agree, if there was a way she could escape her cousin, Lance. She would gladly marry even the devil because what has she got to lose?