Rise of the Living Forge - Chapter 10: More customers

I never asked to be a part of werewolf society - or this world.Every day that passes, the mating bond between my protector and I threatens to occur, once and for all. To consume me entirely... and lock my path with this world on the brink, even when I still think of home.⧖ ⧖ ⧖One minute I was Citra Lomdi - a Princess to a kingdom of silk and secrets in a whole other place. There, I was a *magnificent* Fox shifter... maneuvering in the gilded cage that was my life. The next thing I knew...I was trapped in the body of a she-werewolf being rejected by her mate. A man that wanted the original owner, Helene Duskpaw, to accept the rejection of the mate bond so badly that he'd be easily convinced to kill me. He did *almost* seem to be trying!But my problems didn't end there.An 'Apocalypse System' has chosen me and a countdown timer reminds me whenever I look that fate can be measured. That there might be a point to my arrival here.A fierce & brilliant CEO of a supernatural society tech empire has their sights on me, too. The Alpha of the Rimecoat Pack that is quite annoyingly... as sexy as she is powerful.This Kyrie Voss also seems to believe she is my fated mate. Silly wolf superstitions. Whether that is true or not, isn't really important!I'm caught in between a cold-snap future and a hot-love pursuit... but I am Citra Lomdi and I will not be tamed. Not by the wolf within me I share this body with, the rogues that see me unmarked, or the Alpha that can set my blood on fire with her amazing restraint.The only problem is:Helene was pregnant before she died. So now, I am too.

Kyros was no hero—nor was he a villain. A pragmatist to the core, he turned Earth into a chessboard of chaos, bending nations and empires to his will before meeting his end. But death was only the beginning. The Devil intervened, pulling Kyros into Hell with an irresistible proposition: a second chance at life in a world far removed from Earth—a world named Neva.In this fantastical realm of knights, nobility, magic, and divine power, Kyros becomes the key piece in a wager between God and the Devil. Reborn as Rasmus Blackheart, a disgraced young noble, his task is clear: unleash chaos and topple the order of Neva, just as he did on Earth. But the Devil has added a twist to the game—he’ll serve as Rasmus’s companion, not as a guide but as a mischievous, manipulative force, more likely to hinder than help.Navigating a world brimming with intrigue and divine interference, Rasmus must survive, scheme, and rise from ruin to reshape Neva in his image. Will his cunning be enough to outwit his foes—and his so-called ally—or will this chaotic partnership lead to his downfall?

All Raven ever wanted was a chance — to go to college, make friends, be loved, and live like any other girl her age. But dreams, it seemed, weren’t meant for people like her.As a scholarship student at an elite university built for the wealthy and privileged, Raven's life quickly spiraled into a nightmare. Surrounded by cruelty and entitlement, she became the perfect target. Their relentless torment stripped her of everything — her dignity, her hope, her will to live. She bore it all in silence, blaming herself even for the tragedy that tore her family apart. Despair led her to the edge of suicide, but fate had other plans.Ten years later, those same bullies, now living lavish lives of success and luxury, had long forgotten the girl they destroyed. But Raven hadn’t forgotten them — not one bit.With scars that ran deep and a heart hardened by pain, she returned — no longer the fragile girl they once broke. One by one, she would visit her tormentors, delivering her own brand of justice and making them learn that every cruel action has a consequence.Because this time, Raven isn’t the victim.She’s the reckoning!

My reunion with her took place in the worst possible way.