Painted Scars Neva Altaj Novels & Stories

Rory Callahan never wanted to be a headline. She only wanted to play hockey. As the first woman signed to the professional Titans hockey team, she has spent two brutal seasons fighting for her place in a world determined to push her out. Her greatest obstacle is Jaxon Kane, the team’s arrogant captain, whose cold glares and cutting words make it clear that he believes she does not belong. But when a public scandal threatens Jaxon’s career and Rory is once again painted as angry and impossible to coach, management forces them into the perfect lie: a fake relationship. Now, the man who once humiliated her is holding her hand before cameras, sharing an apartment with her, defending her to the press and standing too close under the excuse of fixing her stance on the ice. Rory knows better than to trust him but the longer they pretend, the harder it becomes to tell where the act ends and the truth begins. Then she discovers the secret buried in Jaxon’s contract: a five-million-dollar bonus tied to her failure. Caught between betrayal, ambition, pregnancy and a love she no longer knows how to trust, Rory must decide whether to walk away quietly or expose the system that tried to destroy her. But when the man who was supposed to ruin her becomes the only one willing to burn everything down for her, can Rory risk trusting Jaxon Kane again?

I worked at a sales job and felt pretty good about my work. Then, Vivian appeared. She was a new intern with an insatiable curiosity for others’ private affairs. On Valentine’s Day, my husband, Henry Ambrose, bought a million dollars’ worth of bags from me to help me meet my sales target. Just as I left work to meet him for a date, Vivian sent a snide message. [Your Fitbit just logged an extra thousand steps. That’s literally the exact distance to the hotel next door. Nice work, Lily! You close a million-dollar deal and immediately head to the hotel with the client?] I coldly fired back, [If you’re this desperate to stalk people, you should’ve just joined the K-9 unit.] That very night, parcels of adult toys appeared on my doorstep. Vivian had written a nasty post that had gone viral, and things turned out like this! [This Salesgirl Slept With My Client and Stole My Million-Dollar Commission on Valentine’s Day!] A pair of my ripped silk stockings, which I had tossed in the trash, became her “proof” that I had seduced a client during work hours. Vivian was painted as the victim, while I was viciously smeared as a “salesgirl who slept with clients for commissions.” What Vivian did not know was that Henry was actually a leading researcher worth billions. I only took the sales job because I was bored and wanted to experience something new.

This story contains mature themes, explicit romantic content, power imbalance, and emotionally intense situations. It is intended for readers 18+ ⚠️ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What do you do when the man who ruined your life becomes the only thing you can't stop thinking about?" It started with a slap and ended with my life in shambles. The media painted me as the villain. My scholarship? Gone. My future? Shattered. Now Thomas Knights—billionaire, music god—is a walking red flag, and the reason my life fell apart. But his father? He is more brutal and has me backed into a corner. He offered me a deal: become Thomas's personal assistant, and all my problems would disappear. But there's a catch; I need to spy on his son and report back to him. Yet, their world is ruthless, glamorous, and full of secrets. And Thomas is a destructive taboo, a controlling menace, and completely untouchable. Worse, he sees straight through me. And every day I'm with him, the line between duty and desire blurs. Every secret I learn pulls me deeper into his orbit. The real question isn't whether I'll take the deal. It's whether I'll survive what it demands of me. This isn't a love story. It's a game of survival, obsession, and ruin. And I don't know who will go down first—him or me?

Miyal Rhax, the warrior king and Alpha of the Crescent Silver Moon pack, once ruled with unwavering strength. But when a killing plague ravaged, turning the dead into hunger monsters, he was overcome by sorrow and corrupted by lies, resulting in a terrible decision. His Luna, Krishna Aswald,one of three legendary witches and descendant of lost Emerald Atlantia, was used as a scapegoat for the pack's pain. The pack, fueled by an ancient fear of magic, turned against her, while Perfera, the cunning daughter of a betrayed servant, seized the opportunity. Disguising her malice as loyalty, she fed Miyal lies that painted Krishna as the source of their doom. Blinded by desperation, Miyal sentenced Krishna to death by fire, shattering both their hearts in the process. As flames engulfed her, Krishna unleashed a power greater than death, vanishing in a blaze of emerald light. Her death brought no salvation—only increased suffering. Miyal realized too late that the true savior had been condemned, while Krishna found refuge with Ignatious West, her former lover and a powerful wizard, in the mystical land of Brunschiere. As the curse deepened, Miyal uncovered Perfera's darker scheme, revealing her as the culprit of the pack's doom. Determined to find Krishna, wanting her back and to seek forgiveness, he faced the daunting truth: could he heal the wounds he had inflicted, and would she trust him again as they confronted an even greater darkness? Or would she choose to live with her first love, Ignatious, and forget Miyal?

Seer Corvyn once foretold that House Ashveil would produce a daughter who could see the future. I hid the birthmark I was born with on my forehead, yet my younger sister painted a vivid mark on her forehead every single day. Then, a royal decree came, naming her the Crown Prince, Prince Caelen’s fiancée, and I married Prince Aldric, just like I had wanted. For the next five years, I used my ability to foresee the future to help Aldric rise to power. On the night he ascended the throne, I finally wiped away the layers of makeup and told him my secret. However, instead of relief, he flew into a rage. He carved the flesh from my forehead and had me executed. “Leanora, how dare you imitate Rosalind’s birthmark? If you hadn’t chosen me first, she would never have been forced to marry Caelen! She should have been my true queen! For five years, every moment I touched you has disgusted me. You shall die in her place.” When I opened my eyes again, Aldric burst in, cutting off Seer Corvyn mid-sentence. “How can a mark prove that Rosalind is the chosen one?” “I’m willing to use the blank royal decree Father once granted me to marry the Lord Chancellor’s illegitimate daughter, Rosalind Ashveil.”

Sarita has always been a good daughter. The straight A's student and quite possibly going to be the class valedictorian on her graduation day. Like every other girl, she began to notice boys when she was fifteen and one boy in particular caught her fancy; Rajveer Chaturvedi. He is the co-captain of the school's basketball team The Panthers but he has never noticed her because he has his eyes on Divya Malhotra, head cheerleader who also happens to be his girlfriend. But Divya has her eyes on Vikrant Suryavanshi, the captain of the basketball team and Raj's best friend. Sarita loses all hope of ever getting Raj's attention but by a twist of fate, she becomes friends with Vikrant whom she'd heard of and seen a couple of times in school but had never spoken to due to the animosity between him and her best friend Kalyani who happens to be his cousin. Feelings grow between the unlikely pair and a long term friendship is broken when Divya's lies are revealed to Raj and Vikrant is painted the bad guy by his friend who swore to get his revenge. Vikrant's and Sarita's relationship is put to the test when she becomes pregnant due to a situation that was beyond their control and she is forced to choose between her family and the father of her baby when a young man shows up, claiming to be her betrothed.

Arielle Santos 24 years old never imagined that her life would be written for her — even her love story. She was raised in a modest family, a dreamer who painted her hopes in colors only she could see. But one evening, her world collapsed when her parents revealed the truth: to save their family from bankruptcy, she had to marry the son of their business partner — Evan Monteverde, the 28 years old, cold and distant heir of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Evan didn’t believe in love. To him, emotions were distractions — weaknesses that could ruin a man. He had long promised himself never to trust feelings again after being betrayed by someone he once loved. So when his father announced his arranged marriage with a woman he barely knew, he didn’t protest for love’s sake — only to end the endless lectures about “duty” and “family legacy.” Their wedding day was perfect — at least in the eyes of the guests. But behind the veil and the smiles, two strangers stood at the altar, reciting vows they didn’t mean. The words “I do”echoed in the church, but neither of them truly did. After the ceremony, they made a deal — they would live together for one year, play their roles for the sake of appearances, and then quietly separate. No love. No expectations. Just peace. But peace was harder to keep than they thought.

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

Everyone in Moonveil Pack knew our Alpha, Eric, worshiped his Mate. When he loved, he went feral. To keep me—an infertile she-wolf—on the Luna throne, he once painted the Elder Council in blood. Stood in front of the whole pack and swore he hated pups. Said he'd end his own bloodline before he let me hurt. Yeah. That was his version of forever. Until my body changed. Then one day he walked into our territory holding a young she-wolf's hand—Velda—and built her a little love nest right next to our home. I asked for an explanation. "My pack needs an heir. You can't give me one." Velda smiled all sweet. The second he looked away, she flipped me off. "Zara, you're fat as a pig. What makes you think you can compete with me?" I looked at her young, perfect face and finally got it. Those vows? Not love. Just lust in a crown. I didn't cry. Didn't cause a scene. I called the witch through mind link. "Do it. Forcefully sever my mate bond with him." If he hated this body so much, then the thousandfold pain I'd held back for five years? Yeah. It was time to give it back.

For years, Melinda hid her scars beneath high collars and silent smiles. As the wolfless Luna, she endured endless humiliation for one reason alone: Carl. The Alpha she loved. The mate she would have given everything for. But when another woman announced she was carrying Kael’s child, her world shattered. Even worse? The day Melinda finally discovered she was pregnant, nobody believed her. Not the elders. Not the pack. Not even her mate. Banished while carrying his children, she disappears into the night. Only then does Carl learn the devastating truth. The woman he rejected was the one thing he could never afford to lose.