The Gold Queen (Prequel)

***Mateo***

The sound of a bomb going off In the distance sends my heart into a panic. I instinctively pull Sofia to my chest, shielding her from any potential danger or debris from the explosion. I grow still, my ears trying to listen for any sounds of our attackers but it’s difficult to make out anything over the commotion of people running and screaming.

I mind-link the guards to secure the perimeter of the hacienda and to make sure no one leaves the scene of the crime. As far as we knew, there were more bombs and everyone present was either in danger or a suspect.

I take a step towards the driveway but feel Sofia interlock our fingers and march alongside me.

“What are you-“

“We’re in this together, Teo,” she says, determination in her eyes when she looks up at me. “So we will investigate together.”

I want to argue that she needs to stay here where it’s safe but she’s already dragging me towards the driveway.

I pull Sofia into me again and hiss a warning in her ear. “At least stay close to me.”

All around me, children were crying, mothers working hard to calm their babies down.

“Everyone stay put!” Sofia declares. “Nobody moves until we figure out what that was and if there’s more danger.”

Several warriors k**s their mates goodbye and ask to join Sofia and I as we walk towards the source of the explosion.

My immediate thoughts go to mom and Dad and I pray to Moon Goddess they left the area before the explosion. I scan the area for them but am quickly distracted by a swarm of guards racing towards me. They give me solemn looks, a huge cloud of smoke rising just behind them and the smell of burning metal and flesh filling my nostrils.

There’s a large pile of debris that’s on fire in the center of the smoke and I can just barely make out two bodies still sitting in their seats in the unrecognizable car. The smell of gasoline becomes overpowering.

“Who’s car was it?” I ask, dreading their response.

They glance at each other, saying nothing. I could feel my anger rising, Sofia squeezing my hand to calm me down. Finally, a guard speaks up.

“S-sir, i-it’s probably best that you let us handle this and wait for the fire department-“

“I said, WHO’S CAR WAS IT?” I snarl, pushing past them to examine the debris.

From what I could see, the pile of metal was once a pick up truck. Refusing to believe it was theirs, I rush towards the pile to be stopped by Sofia.

“Teo, slow down. We don’t know if it’s theirs and it’s still on fire. There could be another bomb in there,” she warns.

I watch her lips move and can hear the sounds coming out of her mouth, but nothing that she says registers in my head, her voice being drowned out by the thumping of my heart.

The world begins to move in slow motion as I try to push past her but she holds me back by the arm, begging me to stay with her. Several of the guards try to help her, pushing me back from the burning car. Tears fill my eyes when I catch a glimpse of Mom’s purse burning alongside her.

My entire world begins to collapse, my lungs suddenly struggling to breathe as I hyperventilate and inhale the smoke.

“Let me go!” I demand, struggling against their grip to help my mother. “Let me go!”

“Teo, calm down baby,” Sofia whimpers, my pain becoming hers.

“AMA!” I scream, my eyes glued to the car. “AMA! Mami levantate! Mami get up! Get up!”

Gasoline trickles out of the car’s engine, feeding into the small flames.

Get down! Luis warns.

Without hesitating, I wrap my arm around Sofia’s waist and pull her to my chest, shielding her from the blast of the second explosion.

We collide onto the ground, my body covering hers as pieces of burning metal fly in different directions. I hold her close until I gain the courage to peek at the car completely engulfed in flames.

My throat grows dry as the two bodies inside disappear into the burning hell.

I hear footsteps race towards us and look up to see Emiliano approaching us. His mouth moves but I can’t hear a word he’s saying, the ringing in my ears deafening me. His face turns red as he screams orders at me and begins to drag me off of Sofia.

I look down at my arm and see a piece of metal lodged in my skin, the flesh around it nearly charred black. The pain doesn’t register and I just stare at the wound like an i***t.

B***d spills from Sofia’s ears, the sound of the blast having blown out both of our eardrums and she looks around in shock, a bit disoriented. Luckily, her ears seem to be the only injury she has.

Emiliano bends over and cups her cheeks, quickly healing her ears before turning to me. He grabs my arm, muttering something as he works. He suddenly yanks the metal out of my arm, the shock wearing off instantly and the pain hitting me like a bulldozer. I scream as he covers the wound with his hand. The electric jolt soothes the pain until it disappears entirely and the wound seals itself. The ringing in my ears stops and Emiliano looks me dead in the eyes.

“Move it Teo! Get Sofia out of here,” he snaps, tapping at my cheeks to get a reaction. He looks around, several of the guards lying on the floor, wounded and bleeding. “I gotta help the others, Teo. Move! Now!”

Finally, my body begins to react and I try to scoop Sofia up but she slaps my arms away.

“No! I’m helping too,” she snaps, stumbling to her feet.

I try to argue with her but she lifts her arms up and aims them at the flames. Concentrating, she moves her arms in an upward motion and the fire follows her lead until all the flames are gathered together by the car. She closes her hand and the fire extinguishes itself, black smoke filling the air around us.

Several warriors rush over to help gather the injured guards and Emiliano gets to work healing them as quickly as possible. My eyes go directly to the two bodies still in the car, burned beyond recognition. A part of me hopes I’m wrong, that it was someone else’s parents sitting perfectly still in the car, but my gut tells me otherwise.

This was their car… and I just lost my parents.

I walk slowly to the debris, removing chunks of metal to expose the two bodies. Tears fill my eyes when I see Dad’s charred sombrero and mom’s purse, undeniable proof that Mom and Dad were gone.

“I’m so sorry, Teo,” Sofia whispers, grabbing arm.

I lean into her, afraid I might collapse on my own two feet. My last interaction with my father and mother replays in my head.

“Eres mi orgullo…”

But I never told him how much those words meant to me. How much I craved to hear those words growing up. I should have said ‘I love you’ to him. I should have hugged him. I should have done so much more than just remain silent and I knew now my silence would haunt me forever.

And Mom. I had been annoyed by her k****s before she left. Little did I know how much I would need one right now from her. I should have smothered her with love, held her a little longer, offered her to stay the night here so that she would have never gotten in the car. I could have saved her had I not been so caught up with wanting a child at a time like this.

I turn to my brother who is hunched over a guard, working diligently to save him.

How would I tell him our parents were gone forever?

Sofia seems to sense my turmoil and squeezes my arm. “I’ll tell him,” she says, giving me a reassuring smile. “I’ll tell him.”

“No,” I sigh, shaking my head. “He’s my brother. He needs to hear it from me.”

Feeling my stare, Emiliano turns to look at me.

“What’s wrong?” he mind links me, finishing up his work and getting to his feet.

Avoiding his eyes, I reply, “We need to speak in private.”

He doesn’t question me as I bark orders to secure the area, clean up the debris, and have the bodies prepared for a Moon Warrior ceremony. Sofia holds my hand the entire walk back to the house, our bond soothing the pain that was slowly consuming me.

We find Valentina curled up on the couch, her hand clutching her belly as Danny crouches beside her, whispering reassuring words in her ears. When she hears us approach, she attempts to stand up but the weight of her stomach is too much and she gives up her fight.

“Teo, what’s going on?” she pants, settling back into the couch.

I fight back my tears and ask Emi to sit with Valentina.

“Teo, you’re scaring me,” Valentina whimpers, curling up to her twin.

I could hear Valentina’s heart accelerate as I debate over what to say to them. I get on my knees, taking both of their hands in my own.

My mouth hangs open for a second as I struggle to get the words out of my throat.

“T-the explosion… was a car,” I whisper softly, my tears threatening to fall with every word. “A-and… And it was Mom and Dad’s car…”

Valentina bursts into tears, shaking her head in disbelief.

“No… y-you’re wrong!” she sobs, burying her face in Emiliano’s shirt. “NO!”

Emi stares blankly at me.

“A-are you sure?” he asks, hope lingering in his eyes. “M-maybe it was just a car that looked like theirs! Maybe they’re halfway home right now,” he adds, jumping to his feet. “We should call them and -“

“Emi,” I sigh, rising with him and blocking his way. “I-I know this is hard … and I wish it wasn’t theirs but-“

“No!” He snaps, stepping away from me. “It wasn’t their car!” he snaps, his voice breaking. “I-It can’t be…”

Before I can respond, a guard rushes into the room, my mother’s purse in his hand.

“Your Majesties,” he bows as he approaches. “You should see this.”

He hands me the purse, ushering me to open it and when I do, a small note flies out. My b***d turns cold when I read it out loud.

TOLD YOU YOU WOULD REGRET GETTING IN MY WAY.

-J

I crush the note in my hand, anger boiling up inside me as realize Julian was behind my parent’s death. Luis bangs against the prison of my mind, eager to get out of my head and take control. I could feel myself slipping away, succumbing to an unbelievable rage. My claws and canines begin to elongate, my wolf threatening to come out and rip Julian to shreds for what he did. My mind fills with murderous thoughts and my lips curl into a snarl, my teeth ready to sink into Julian’s throat.

Suddenly, I feel two hands cup my cheeks, warm sparks spreading across my face as Sofia’s voice comes into focus.

“Mateo… please,” she whispers. “Please come back, baby. Please come back to me,” she murmurs, her soft voice soothing the anger away.

Luis struggles against her touch but her voice was my beacon, my call home and I readily surrender to her. Tucking Luis away for now, I press my lips against Sofia, needing her strength to keep the anger away.

But it’s not enough. The pain slowly fills my heart and spills out of my eyes. I bury my face in her neck as sob after sob rolls through me.

Valentina’s wails echo off the wall, Emi rushing to her side to comfort her. He picks her up in his lap and holds her tightly against his chest, closing his eyes as he gives her every last drop of his strength. Sofia leads me to the couch and I settle beside Emi, leaning over to k**s Valentina’s forehead and smooth back her hair.

“You better find him,” she snarls through gritted teeth. “You better find him and make sure he screams,” she hiccups as her eyes grow heavy with sleep.

She closes her eyes, Emi’s soothing energy putting her to sleep. I turn to Sofia, wiping my tears and hardening my face.

“Get the Alpha’s ready,” I order. “I’m declaring war on Estrella del Monte.”