Fault Lines

He built walls to survive the NHL. The rookie is tearing them down.

At thirty-two, veteran center Cole MacKinnon knows how to read a locker room and how to manage his distance. After a trade brings him to the Vancouver Wolves, he has one goal: play the best hockey of his life and ignore the rest. He has spent eleven years building a wall between his career and his private life, hiding his sexuality to survive a league that demands conformity.

Then he meets Mateo Reyes.

Twenty-four years old, endlessly talented, and entirely unbothered by the rules, Mateo plays like physics are optional. As the new General Manager's son, Mateo lives like he owns every room he walks into. When a training camp arrangement forces them to share a two-bedroom billet apartment, Cole's carefully managed existence is thrown into chaos. Mateo plays his playlists, cooks dinners from scratch, and pays far too much attention to the quiet veteran.

But underneath the easy smiles and chaotic energy, Mateo sees Cole clearly. He sees the pain of an old knee injury, the weight of the secrets Cole carries, and the brilliant way Cole reads the ice. Mateo doesn't push; he just stays, waiting for the ice to thaw.

As their on-ice chemistry ignites and the Wolves surge toward the playoffs, the managed distance between them begins to collapse. Cole must decide if he's finally ready to stop hiding-and if he's brave enough to claim the man standing right beside him.

Fault Lines is the first book in the Wolves on Ice series. This emotional, character-driven story features:

• M/M Hockey Romance

• Grumpy Veteran / Sunshine Rookie

• Teammates to Lovers

• Forced Proximity & Roommates

• "Only One Bed" Hotel Setup

• Emotional Slow Burn

• A Hard-Won Happily Ever After