Rejected by My Brother's Best Friend Alpha: A Fated Mate Secret Baby Second Chance Forced proximity Taboo Hockey Shifter Romance (Forced Rejected Mates)

The hockey god Alpha I’d loved my whole life took my innocence.
Too bad I'm his best friend's sister. And completely off-limits.
And even worse? I'm forced to paint his naked body for a massive campaign, desperately hiding the six-year-old son he doesn't know exists.

Lila
Colt Mercer. Alpha of the Frost Wolves. Star hockey captain.
Me? The scentless, wolfless defect of my family.

One night, our hidden mate bond flared. I gave him everything.
The next morning, he looked at me like a mistake, wrapped in his dead wife’s memory, and shattered our bond without a second glance.
I fled with a broken heart, bruises on my soul... and a secret.

Seven years later, I’m back as his team's lead body painter.
My rule? Keep it professional.
But he’s in my chair, muscles tense, eyes dark with regret and a hunger he can't mask.
If he ever sees the little boy in my studio—he'll tear my carefully built world apart.

Colt
I thought my soul died the day I buried my wife.
Until Lila touched me.
I broke the bond to punish myself, tangled in too many fears—my pack, my best friend, and the doubts I couldn’t silence about whether I was even capable of protecting my beloved one.

Now she’s back, commanding me with a paintbrush, fierce and untouchable.
She thinks she can keep me at a distance.
She thinks my wolf hasn't recognized the tiny, feral pup hiding behind her.
My mate. My woman. My son.

I let her run once.
But this time? I’ll bleed for her forgiveness and destroy anyone who threatens them.

Tropes List & Disclaimers
✦Fated Mates / Rejected Mate
✦Secret Baby
✦Brother's Best Friend
✦Hockey / Sports Romance
✦Forced Proximity
✦Grovel & Redemption
✦Protective Alpha & Girl Boss
No Cheating / Complete Standalone
Trigger Warning: Contains themes of past loss/grief, brief physical altercations, and off-page child endangerment threats.