Blood on Ice: Four Alphas, One Enforcer Queen

Blood and Transformation

Chapter 5 - Blood and Transformation

Dakota's POV

The cage was smaller than I remembered.

Hundreds of people surrounded it, all of them screaming for blood. Vaughn sat in a VIP section, smiling like a king watching his gladiators.

I stood in my corner, wearing nothing but shorts and a sports bra. No gear. No protection. Just me and my fists.

Across the cage, Kieran waited. He wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Vaughn's voice boomed over the speakers. "Tonight, we have a special match. The rookie versus the veteran. The girl who thinks she's tough enough to survive our world."

The crowd roared.

"And to make things interesting—this isn't just a fight. It's a bonding match. If Kieran wins, he claims her. If she wins..." Vaughn's smile widened. "Well, let's just say that won't happen."

The cage door slammed shut. Locked.

The bell rang.

Kieran moved first. Fast. Brutal.

His fist landed on my jaw before I could dodge. Pain exploded through my skull. I hit the cage wall hard.

"Get up!" someone screamed.

I forced myself to my feet. Kieran was already there, his next punch aimed at my ribs.

I blocked...barely and countered with an elbow to his face. He grunted, stepping back.

We circled each other. Both of us bleeding already.

This wasn't fake. Kieran was really fighting me.

I saw it in his eyes, desperation and fear. This was the only way to make it look real.

I launched myself at him. We crashed to the mat, trading blows. Each hit sent shockwaves through my body.

He was stronger, Faster and Trained.

But I was meaner.

I got him in a chokehold. He thrashed, then twisted and threw me off. I skidded across the mat.

"Finish her!" Vaughn's voice cut through the noise.

Kieran shifted. Partially. His eyes turned gold, his teeth elongating into fangs.

This was it. The bite.

He lunged. I tried to dodge but wasn't fast enough.

His teeth sank into my shoulder.

Pain like I'd never felt erupted through me. Not just physical but something deeper. Something primal.

I screamed.

Kieran held on, injecting the serum. I felt it burn through my veins, mixing with his venom.

My vision blurred. My heartbeat slowed.

This was supposed to fake my death.

But something was wrong.

Heat flooded my body. My bones ached. My skin felt like it was splitting open.

Kieran released me and stepped back, his eyes wide with horror.

"No," he whispered. "No, you can't be...."

I collapsed. My body convulsed. The crowd went silent.

I wasn't dying.

I was changing.

My back arched as my spine cracked and reformed. My teeth pushed forward into fangs. My nails became claws.

And the rage—oh god, the rage.

It consumed me. Drowned me. Turned me into something that wasn't human.

I shifted fully.

But I wasn't a normal wolf.

I was bigger. Stronger. My fur was midnight black with streaks of silver. My eyes burned red instead of gold.

The crowd gasped. Someone screamed.

Vaughn stood, his face a mixture of shock and greed. "A Berserkers," he breathed. "She's a Berserkers Wolf."

I didn't know what that meant. I didn't care.

All I knew was rage.

I turned on Kieran. He backed away, hands raised.

"Dakota, listen to me..."

I attacked.

We crashed through the cage door, tearing it off its hinges. People scattered, screaming.

I couldn't stop. Couldn't think. Could only destroy.

Kieran shifted fully, trying to fight me off without hurting me. "Dakota! You have to control it!"

Control? There was no control. Only fury.

I slammed him into the ground. My jaws closed around his throat.

One bite, One squeeze and he'd be dead.

"Dakota, please!" His voice was raw. "Don't let it win! You're stronger than this!"

Somewhere deep inside, a part of me heard him.

A part that remembered Ember. Remembered why I was here.

I released Kieran and stumbled back. My body shook violently.

The rage was still there, clawing at me, demanding release.

But I fought it. Pushed it down.

Slowly, agonizingly, I shifted back to human.

I collapsed, naked and shaking, in the middle of the destroyed cage.

Silence.

Then Vaughn started clapping.

"Magnificent," he said. "Absolutely magnificent. Do you know what you are, Dakota? You're a Berserker—the rarest, most dangerous wolf bloodline in existence. Your ancestors nearly wiped out entire packs. And now, you belong to me."

I tried to stand but my legs wouldn't cooperate. Kieran crawled toward me, blood streaming from wounds I'd given him.

"Leave her alone," he rasped.

Vaughn laughed. "Oh, I'm not going to hurt her. She's far too valuable. But she does need to learn control. And discipline." He snapped his fingers. "Secure them both. The Berserker and her protector."

Wolves surrounded us, too many to fight, even if I could shift again.

"Wait!" A voice rang out from the crowd.

A guy pushed through—blonde, mid-twenties. He moved with authority, and the wolves parted for him.

"Alpha Vaughn," the blonde said smoothly. "I believe we need to discuss this situation."

Vaughn's smile tightened. "Marcus Shaw. I wasn't aware you were attending tonight."

"I'm full of surprises." Marcus stopped at the edge of the destroyed cage, his eyes scanning me with something like recognition. "This girl—she's bonded now, yes? To Kieran Frost?"

"She is."

"Then pack law applies. You can't simply claim her. She has the right to choose her Alpha." Marcus's smile was sharp. "Unless you're planning to violate pack law in front of all these witnesses?"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Vaughn's jaw clenched.

"What's your interest in this, Shaw?"

"Let's just say I have use for a Berserker." Marcus looked at me. "Dakota Cross. I'm offering you protection. Join my pack, and Vaughn can't touch you or your bonds."

"Don't listen to him," Vaughn snarled. "Shaw is a traitor and a..."

"Careful," Marcus interrupted. "You're in front of the Council representatives, remember?" He gestured to three older wolves watching from the VIP section. "Unless you want to explain to them why you're running illegal death matches?"

Vaughn went very still.

The tension was so thick I could barely breathe. My body still ached from the transformation, my mind spinning.

"Dakota." A new voice, quieter. A guy stepped forward—lean, with glasses and auburn hair. He knelt beside me, offering a blanket. "My name is Adrian Wells. I'm a doctor. You need medical attention."

I took the blanket with shaking hands and wrapped it around myself. "Who are all of you?"

"Friends," Adrian said gently. "Or at least, we'd like to be."

"She doesn't need friends," a younger voice piped up. A red-haired kid, maybe eighteen, pushed his way over. "She needs a pack who won't use her like a weapon." He looked at me with bright hazel eyes. "I've been dreaming about you for weeks. I'm Flynn. And I know this sounds crazy, but you're supposed to survive this. I've seen it."

"Dreams?" I managed.

"He's a Seer," Kieran said, finally sitting up. "And they're all part of the rebellion against Vaughn. I've been working with them."

Everything clicked into place. This wasn't random. Kieran had backup. A plan.

"So what happens now?" I asked.

Marcus extended his hand. "Now, you choose. Stay with Vaughn and be his weapon. Or come with us and help take him down."

I looked at his hand. Then at Kieran, bleeding because of me. At Adrian, who'd shown me kindness. At Flynn, who somehow knew my future.

And I thought of Ember. Of the forty-three dead kids. Of everything Vaughn had taken.

I took Marcus's hand.

"I choose freedom."

Vaughn's roar shook the building. "You'll regret this!"

"Maybe," I said, finding my voice. "But at least I'll regret it on my own terms."

Marcus pulled me to my feet. "Then let's get you out of here before he changes his mind."

We moved fast—Marcus, Kieran, Adrian, Flynn, and me. The crowd parted, confused, scared. The Council representatives watched but didn't interfere.

We made it to the exit. Almost free.

Then Vaughn's voice stopped us cold.

"Dakota Cross. If you walk out that door, I'll kill your sister. Tonight. I have people at her group home right now."

My blood froze. I turned slowly.

Vaughn stood in the center of the destroyed cage, phone in hand. "All I have to do is make one call. Is your freedom worth Ember's life?"

Everything stopped. My choice. My sister's life.

Marcus gripped my shoulder. "We can protect her. We can get her out—"

"Not fast enough," Vaughn interrupted. "My people are already inside. By the time you get there, she'll be dead. Unless..." His smile was pure evil. "Unless Dakota comes back. Willingly. Forever."

"Don't do it," Kieran whispered. "It's a trap. He's bluffing..."

"Am I?" Vaughn hit a button on his phone. A video appeared on the large screens around the arena.

Ember was In her room, sleeping.

And standing over her bed was a wolf in human form, claws extended.

"No....No" I breathed and shaked my head in disbelief

"Your choice, Dakota. You have thirty seconds."

My mind raced. I couldn't let Ember die. But if I went back, I'd never escape. Vaughn would own me forever.

"Twenty seconds."

The wolf on screen moved closer to Ember.

"Ten seconds."

I pulled away from Marcus. "I'm sorry. I have to..."

The screens went black.

Then a new image appeared. Ember's room, but the wolf was on the ground, unconscious. And standing over him was a woman with silver hair and golden eyes.

Vaughn stared at the screen in shock. "No. That's impossible."

"Surprised, Vaughn?" The woman's voice came through the speakers. "You thought I wouldn't notice you threatening my bloodline?"

"Who is that?" I whispered.

Kieran's eyes widened. "The Berserker Queen. The original one. She's still alive."

The woman on screen looked directly at the camera—at me. "Dakota Cross. You carry my blood. That makes you pack. And no one threatens my pack." She smiled, feral and dangerous. "Come find me when you're ready. You have much to learn about what you are."

The screen went dark.

Vaughn was speechless for the first time since I'd met him.

Marcus pulled me toward the exit. "We need to go. Now. Before he recovers."

We ran. Out of the building, into the night, into a van waiting in the parking lot.

As we sped away, I looked back at Crimson Falls University, at the prison I'd almost died in.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Somewhere safe," Marcus said. "Somewhere Vaughn can't reach you."

"And my sister?"

"She's already on her way. The Berserker Queen's people extracted her." Adrian checked his phone. "She's safe. You both are."

I slumped in my seat, exhausted, terrified, and transformed.

"What happens now?"

Kieran met my eyes. "Now? We train you. Teach you control. And then we take Vaughn down for good."

"And this Berserker Queen? The woman who saved Ember?"

Flynn grinned. "She's your great-great-grandmother. And she's been waiting for you to awaken for a very long time."

I stared at him. "My what?"

"You're descended from the original Berserker Queen bloodline," Adrian explained. "That's why Vaughn wanted you. That's why you're so powerful. And that's why you're the only one who can stop him."

I looked down at my hands. Still shaking. Still stained with blood.

I wasn't just Dakota Cross anymore. Wasn't just a street fighter trying to protect her sister.

I was something ancient. Something dangerous.

Something that could either save everyone or destroy them.

"So," I said quietly. "When do we start?"

Marcus smiled. "Tomorrow. Tonight, you rest. Tomorrow, we begin your real training."

The van drove into the darkness, carrying me away from my old life and toward something I didn't understand yet.

But one thing was clear.

I wasn't running anymore.

I was done being a victim.

Vaughn wanted a weapon? I'd become one.

But I'd be the weapon that destroyed him.

And nothing; not fear, not pain, not even the Berserker rage inside me would stop me from protecting the people I loved.

This was only the beginning.