Neon Scars Series by Gale Ian Tate

20-year-old Caleb Walsh hasn’t had an easy life. After a life-altering car accident left him scarred inside and out, his life and education were put on hold to care for his ailing mother. Now, on the verge of being homeless after his mother’s death, it’s a dream come true when he is hired on the spot to be the newest team member of the most popular nightclub in town, Club Euphoria... more20-year-old Caleb Walsh hasn’t had an easy life. After a life-altering car accident left him scarred inside and out, his life and education were put on hold to care for his ailing mother. Now, on the verge of being homeless after his mother’s death, it’s a dream come true when he is hired on the spot to be the newest team member of the most popular nightclub in town, Club Euphoria. The neon lights and loud music are almost too much for the quiet and shy Caleb, but it’s the club’s handsome and enigmatic owner, Marcus that cuts through the noise and captures his attention.And after an intense, unfortunate encounter during his first night on the job, it seems he has caught Marcus’s eye as well.Caleb wants to follow his heart, but Marcus wants to keep him at arm’s length "for his own safety", whatever that means. It doesn’t matter, he’s going to take charge of his life for the first time, even if it means charging headfirst into a dark and dangerous world where monsters are real and the cover charge is paid in blood.Surface Scratch is an M/M Dark Paranormal Romance with a HEA and no cliffhanger. It is the debut novel of author Gale Ian Tate in a planned series.Warning: This book contains adult content not suitable for underage readers and features foul language, steamy scenes, a psychopathic teenager, violence, blood, and torture. less

When addiction recovery meets immortal obsession, some hungers can't be cured—they can only be claimed.Adam Nolan is thirty days sober and barely hanging on when a chance encounter behind a seedy strip club changes everything. Drugged, kidnapped, and chained in a remote farmhouse, he becomes the latest "trial" for Vincent Bellenger—a century-old vampire with a reputation for breaking humans who dare to defy him... moreWhen addiction recovery meets immortal obsession, some hungers can't be cured—they can only be claimed.Adam Nolan is thirty days sober and barely hanging on when a chance encounter behind a seedy strip club changes everything. Drugged, kidnapped, and chained in a remote farmhouse, he becomes the latest "trial" for Vincent Bellenger—a century-old vampire with a reputation for breaking humans who dare to defy him.But Vincent didn't expect Adam's fierce resistance or the way those defiant green eyes would shatter every wall he'd built around his dead heart. What begins as a twisted game of predator and prey evolves into something far more genuine desire.As Adam fights to survive Vincent's dark appetites, he discovers something terrifying—he's falling for the monster who stole his freedom. When a vengeful vampire cult threatens their twisted sanctuary, both men must decide what they're willing to sacrifice for a love that should never exist.With enemies closing in and Adam's hard-won sobriety hanging by a thread, Vincent faces an impossible remain the ruthless predator he's always been, or become something new for the human who taught his dead heart to beat again.Some addictions destroy you. Others save you. This one might do both.Content Warning: This book contains mature themes including addiction, violence, kidnapping, and explicit sexual content. Intended for adult readers.Perfect for fans of morally complex vampires, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and love stories forged in darkness. less

He was built to hunt monsters. He never expected one to heal him.Nick Walsh has been living on borrowed time for months—hiding in junkyards, fighting infection, and slowly dying from wounds that should have been treated long ago. As a former member of the Daylight Society, he knows exactly what monsters look like. He's been hunting them for years. But trauma has fractured his mind into competing voices, leaving him unsure which thoughts are truly his own... moreHe was built to hunt monsters. He never expected one to heal him.Nick Walsh has been living on borrowed time for months—hiding in junkyards, fighting infection, and slowly dying from wounds that should have been treated long ago. As a former member of the Daylight Society, he knows exactly what monsters look like. He's been hunting them for years. But trauma has fractured his mind into competing voices, leaving him unsure which thoughts are truly his own.When fever and blood loss finally claim him, Nick wakes up in the care of Luka Jovanovska, a vampire who should be his enemy, not his savior. Luka can't speak, but his touch brings relief from pain Nick has carried for years. Yet everything Nick was taught screams that this kindness is just another form of manipulation.Luka didn't plan to get involved with a Society hunter, especially one who tried to kill him. But something about Nick calls to every protective instinct he possesses. As they build a fragile language of gestures and whistled melodies, Luka discovers that helping Nick means learning to communicate not just across the silence, but across the fractures in his mind.When Nick's past comes hunting for him, both men must choose between the safety of isolation and the dangerous hope of connection. Because sometimes love is less about finding your other half and more about helping someone become whole.Some conversations happen without words. Some healing happens note by note. Some love stories are written in scars and song.*** Map of Pain is the third book in the Neon Scars series, and while you'll enjoy it more having read the first two books, the author has included a "For New Readers or Readers with Poor Memories" section that serves as a refresher on the relevant information that happened in those first two books. It can be read as a standalone. ***Content This book contains explicit depictions of consensual sex, trauma, torture, SA (not explicit and not between MCs), PTSD, and violence. It deals with themes of conditioning, captivity, and recovery. less