Blood on Ice: Four Alphas, One Enforcer Queen

Chapter 1 - Street Rules Dakota's POV The warehouse stank of oil, sweat, and bad decisions. I laced my skates tighter, ignoring the way my knuckles were already bleeding from the last fight. Street hockey wasn't pretty at all. Well, It wasn't supposed to be. "Riot! You're up!" I stood, rolling my shoulders as the crowd roared. Two hundred people packed into this abandoned factory, all of them here to watch us beat the hell out of each other on a makeshift rink. Half wanted blood then the other half wanted betting money. I gave them both. My opponent tonight was a guy twice my size, all muscle and ego. He grinned when he saw me, showing teeth that had been broken and badly fixed. "They sent me a girl?" He laughed. "Where's the real fight?" I didn't answer. I never did. The ref—some kid barely older than me dropped the puck. I slammed my stick down first, flicking it to my left before the big guy could blink. He lunged. I ducked under his swing and drove my elbow into his ribs. He grunted, spinning faster than I expected. His stick caught my shoulder, and pain exploded down my arm. I shoved it down, buried it deep where it couldn't slow me. Street rules: you show weakness, you lose everything. I faked right, went left, and cracked my stick across his ankles. He dropped like a stone, cursing. The crowd screamed. I didn't even wait for him to get up—I scored, fast and clean. The buzzer sounded. I won. The big guy struggled to his feet, face red with humiliation. "Lucky shot, bitch." I turned, finally meeting his eyes. "Luck had nothing to do with it." He charged. Stupid move. I sidestepped and let him crash into the boards. His friends had to drag him off before he did something that would get him banned. I skated off, ignoring the cheers and jeers blending into noise. My ribs ached. My shoulder throbbed. But in my pocket was gonna be three hundred dollars cash. Enough for another week of Ember's expenses. Worth it. "Nice work, Riot." I glanced up. Tommy Chen, the guy who ran these games, leaned against the penalty box with his usual cigarette dangling from his lips. He was thirty, looked fifty, and had more connections than the mafia. "Money," I said flatly. He pulled an envelope from his jacket and tossed it. I caught it, checked inside. Three hundred exactly. "You got a visitor," Tommy said, nodding toward the entrance. I tensed. "What kind of visitor?" "The kind that wears a suit to a street game." Tommy grinned. "Fancy university type. Said he's got an offer for you." My stomach dropped. University scouts didn't come to places like this. Nothing good came from suits showing up where they didn't belong. "Tell him I'm not interested." "Too late. He already paid me five hundred just to get your name." I swore under my breath. Tommy wouldn't give up information unless the money was insanely good. Which meant whoever this suit man was, he had resources. And I had a very bad feeling about this. "Where is he?" "Outside. Black car. Can't miss it." Tommy flicked ash onto the concrete. "Take the meeting, Riot. Guys like that don't show up for nothing. Could be your ticket out." I didn't want a ticket out. I wanted to stay invisible, make my money, and keep Ember safe. But five hundred just for my name? This guy wasn't going away. I grabbed my bag and headed for the exit, still in my skates. The night air hit me like a slap, cold, sharp and clearheaded. I spotted the car immediately. Black sedan, too clean for this neighborhood. The back window rolled down. "Dakota Cross. Also known as Riot." The voice was smooth, confident. A Male, ofcourse. "I've been looking for you." I stopped a few feet from the car, close enough to talk, far enough to run. "Congratulations. You found me. Now what?" The door opened. A man stepped out—mid-thirties, expensive suit, dark hair graying at the temples. He looked like money and power wrapped in cologne that probably cost more than my rent. "My name is Coach Alan Brennan. I'm a recruiter for Crimson Falls University." I stared at him. "You're joking." "I don't joke about talent." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You're one of the best enforcers I've ever seen. Fast, smart, ruthless. We want you on our team." "I'm not interested in college hockey." "Full scholarship. Room, board, stipend. All expenses covered." He paused. "And a private fund for family support." My heart stopped. Family support. That meant Ember. He saw my reaction and his smile widened. "I know about your sister. Fourteen, currently in foster care while you work to get custody. Legal battles are expensive, Miss Cross. We can help." "Why?" My voice came out harder than I meant. "Why would you help me?" "Because Crimson Falls doesn't settle for second place. We recruit the best, and you're the best." He pulled a card from his pocket and held it out. "Think about it. One season. That's all we're asking. Play for us, and we'll make sure you and your sister are taken care of." I didn't take the card. Every instinct screamed this was wrong. Too convenient. Too perfect. But Ember's face flashed in my mind. Her smile when I picked her up from the group home last week. The way she'd asked when she could live with me for real. I took the card. "I'll think about it," I muttered. "Do more than think." Coach Brennan climbed back into the car. "We start in two weeks. Don't be late." The car pulled away, leaving me standing in the cold with a business card and a sick feeling in my gut. Behind me, someone cleared their throat. I spun. A guy stood in the shadows—tall, broad, dark skin, and eyes that seemed to see straight through me. "You shouldn't trust him," the stranger said quietly. "Who the hell are you?" "Someone who made the same mistake you're about to make." He stepped closer, and I saw the scar running down his jaw. "Crimson Falls isn't what you think it is. If you go there, you won't come back the same." "Is that supposed to scare me?" He studied me for a long moment. "No. I don't think you scare easy." He turned to leave, then paused. "But you should. Because what they do there? It's worse than anything you've survived on these streets." He disappeared into the dark before I could respond. I looked down at the card in my hand. Crimson Falls University. My phone buzzed. Text from Ember's caseworker: Court date moved up. Need proof of income and housing by next month or custody hearing is denied. One month. I had one month to prove I could take care of my sister, or I'd lose her to the system forever. I stared at the card again. "Damn it." I had no choice.