Painted Scars By Neva Altaj

“Nothing hurts more than being hurt by the single person you thought would never betray you.” Twenty-one-year-old Ariella Davenport learned this cruel part of truth when the man she sacrificed everything for, her fated Mate, Vaughn Collins, shattered her heart with betrayal. Three years ago, she walked away from her family, her status, and her legacy to be with him. But what did she get in return— betrayal? Choosing vengeance over heartbreak, Ariella seeked an alliance with the last person Vaughn would ever expect. Vaughn’s enigmatic stepbrother and sworn rival, Zach Killian Winchester. When Ariella proposed a partnership, Zach countered with something far more dangerous: marriage. With Zach’s cunning and unwavering presence, Ariella took away everything that she had given to Vaughn till now. But when the dust of vengeance began to settle, she found herself ensnared in a web she never saw coming. She thought she was using Zach. She didn't realize he was setting a trap of his own. For her it was a revenge game while for him it was a love game. He married her to make her his. **** “Why did you marry me, Zach!” Ariella's voice was low, steady, yet threaded with uncertainty as she looked him in the eye. Zach’s hand found her cheek, his eyes glowing with a quiet, dangerous intensity. A faint smile curved his lips as he whispered, “Because we were always meant to be. The Moon Goddess made a mistake, and I'm correcting it.” *** Book 2 : of Davenport Family Series. Book 1 : Alpha Alexei's Remorse.

“I, Alpha Damon, reject you, Kaima, as my mate. You are a stain on my pack, a weakling who offers nothing but shame.” Those were the words that shattered Kaima’s world. Cast out into the Forbidden Forest to die, the low-status omega expected the shadows to claim her life. Instead, they whispered her name. Betrayal has a way of waking up the ancient things that should have stayed buried. Deep within Kaima’s blood, the First Fang—the original primal wolf spirit—stirs. It doesn't want her to survive; it wants her to reign. When she is found by Rowan, the lethal Alpha of the Black-Ridge Pack, he doesn't see a broken girl. He senses a power that hasn't walked the earth in five centuries. Bound to Rowan by a dangerous Soul Resonance, Kaima begins a meteoric rise. She is no longer the girl who hides; she is the girl whose scent makes Alphas drop to their knees in terror. As she masters her new dominance, she must navigate a world of "face-slapping" revenge, pack politics, and a second-chance bond that is as erotic as it is deadly. From the ashes of a public rejection, a Queen is born. The Council wants her dead, her former mate wants her back, but the Beast? The Beast wants blood.

“I, Julius Armstrong, reject Doris Charles as my mate.” The laughter came right after. This was the second time my mate rejected me because I cannot talk. In the pack, they call me dumb not because I am stupid, but because I am mute. When I turned eighteen, my first mate rejected me for that reason. Today, it was the Gamma. He is twenty-one, the same age as the Alpha and Beta. This was his third rejection. The first girl was too fat, the second was too short and now, I was dumb. I never wanted to attend the mating ceremony. I knew how it would end, but my stepmother forced me to go, and my stepsisters came just to watch me get mocked again. The next day, wolves who had found their mates returned to officially claim them before the Alpha and pack leaders. I went only because I was forced, just to stand there and watch my stepsister get chosen. Then something happened that no one expected. The Alpha claimed me as his mate in front of everyone. Was I shocked? Yes. Did I believe him? No. Did I think it was a cruel joke? Absolutely. Because no Alpha would choose a rejected, mute girl like me.

Adrianna Yvonne's world is turned upside down when she walks in on her husband and sister in a compromising position on her wedding night. The betrayal cuts deep, and she finds herself reeling from the shock. In a desperate attempt to escape the pain, she flees to a nearby club, where she drowns her sorrows in alcohol and loses herself in the music. In her vulnerable state, she meets a mysterious stranger and, fueled by pain and recklessness, they share a one-night stand. However, the consequences of her actions become even more complicated when Adrianna discovers that the stranger she had a one night stand with is her husband's elder brother.

Liana Hart gave everything to her marriage—her youth, her heart, and ultimately, her child. But when she went into labor, her husband Damien Cross walked out, choosing his career over their growing family. Alone and rejected, Liana rebuilt her life brick by brick, raising her daughter, Emma, without a penny of support or a whisper of regret. Four years later, Damien returns with a glamorous fiancée and an eye on the daughter he left behind. Desperate and cornered, Liana accepts an offer from Ethan Wolfe, Damien’s enigmatic billionaire boss: a marriage of convenience in exchange for protection, power—and the resources to fight for her daughter. But Ethan has his own secrets. He’s been watching Liana for years. And when Damien begins a legal war for custody, the lines between arrangement and obsession blur. As Ethan and Liana pretend to be husband and wife, desire erupts, loyalty is tested, and buried truths surface. What Damien didn’t know is that he was never the one meant to have Liana’s heart—or her child.

My in-laws, who have flown back to the country for the Christmas holidays, visit my home on Christmas Eve for dinner. But Selena Collins, the housekeeper, has only prepared two plates of cold shrimp ravioli despite the fact that I've specifically reminded her about my mother-in-law, Lora Fischer's allergy to shrimps. Selena just tells me in a stoic manner, "Mrs. Peterson, I know that you country bumpkins love taking advantage of everything. So, I completely understand that your parents want to mooch off a meal from the Peterson family during the holidays. "But as Mr. Peterson's most caring housekeeper, I have the right to protect the Petersons' assets from getting leeched by outsiders. Yes, this includes a regular meal. "Then again, I have a heart of gold, you see. I won't starve the elders at all. These are leftover shrimp ravioli from last year. Your parents should hurry up and leave after polishing the ravioli off. "Mr. Peterson is very busy with his work. I can't let him deal with your impoverished parents after getting home from a stressful day at work." I'm stunned at first, but I soon realize that Selena has mistaken my in-laws for my parents. She's purposefully causing me trouble as always. I'm about to explain the truth to Selena when I see my enraged in-laws turning to leave. But Selena wastes no time in calling the bodyguards over to stop them. "I completely understand that country bumpkins like you two have poor character, but wasting food is a really bad trait. "Since the shrimp ravioli is already prepared for you, please finish them all before leaving."

At 11:00 pm, I've just locked my car and am about to walk away when rows of bright red comments appear right in front of my eyes. "Warning! Your husband, whom you're still in a 30-day cooling-off period with, wants to kidnap you! He'll take nudes of you while livestreaming the entire process before mutilating you into chunks and flushing you down the sewers!" "Well, this gold digger keeps swindling money from her husband while toying with his feelings relentlessly. Now, she even wants a portion of his assets by getting a divorce from him. Serves her right for being a target of revenge!" I'm left feeling shell-shocked. After all, I'm single as a Pringle. How the heck did I even have a husband, to begin with?

Rejected. Sold. Marked by a cursed Lycan. Camilla thought she’d lost everything, until the Lycan's mark didn’t kill her. Now caught between a deadly past and a dangerous bond, she must choose who to trust before her mate bond seals the wrong fate.

She loved him. He humiliated her. Now she’s walking away—for good! Lily gave up everything for her husband, William Aldridge—the man she believed was her forever. But on their anniversary, the night she planned to share the news of her long-awaited pregnancy, she walked in on him tangled in the arms of her best friend. With betrayal cutting deeper than any knife and humiliation turning her heart to ash, Lily makes a choice. No more tears. No more waiting to be loved. If not for her shattered dignity, then for the sake of her unborn child, she will return to her true self—Lilian Arkwright, the hidden heiress of the powerful Arkwright Conglomerate. But just as she begins to rebuild her shattered world, she catches the attention of Aaron Aldridge—the devilishly handsome, younger tycoon brother of William, with secrets of his own and a desire to win her heart, no matter the cost. Now torn between the father of her unborn child, the man who broke her... and the man who would do anything to love her, Lilian must decide: Forgiveness or freedom? Past or future? ~•~•~ Pa! Lily threw the stack of documents on the table in front of him. Without waiting for him to question, she said. "Divorce papers, sign them." William stared at the documents like they were a foreign language. “Divorce papers? You’re not serious,” he said, his voice low, disbelieving. Lily remained seated across from him, her expression unreadable. “I’ve never been more serious in my life.” Leaning forward, she slid the pen across the table toward him and repeated. “Sign it.”

He rejected her once… left her humiliated and unseen. Summer came, and she returned unrecognizable—confident, beautiful, unstoppable. Now Hades Deville—the rival, the playboy—sees her and claims her as his mate. Can she survive being desired by the boy she never expected… and the one who once let her go?