The Gold Queen (Prequel)

*** Mateo***

…April 2002…

Sofia sits quietly on the bed, wiggling her toes and refusing to look at me. She’s still angry with me.

Several months ago, I pushed through the paperwork for asylum in the United States and just this morning, I received word that our family had been approved. Money moved mountains in Mexico and luckily for us, we had millions. The death of both of our parents sealed the deal, forensics proving that my mom and dad were killed by Los Zetas. Luckily my money helped convince immigration authorities that we were targets of the cartels. Sofia and the pups would be able to leave for the United States next week.

I climb into bed beside her and she rolls over on her side, her back facing me.

“Sofia,” I sigh.

“We’re not going,” She growls, but I can hear the sob in her throat. “Mexico is my home.”

She doesn’t have to leave, Luis agrees with her, not wanting to spend a second away from his mate or our pups.

As much as I would love to believe him, I know leaving is the best option for Sofia and the girls.

“Sofia,” I murmur, burying my face in her neck and placing my hand on her big belly, feeling my little girls kick beneath my fingertips. “You know we have to. We can’t live like this for much longer. I need to know you and my babies will be safe and the only way to do that is for you three to go away while I take care of Julian and the witches.”

Large tears roll down her cheeks as she turns to face me. “I don’t want to be alone,” she whimpers. “I want to be here with you. With our people.”

“Baby-“

“Please, Teo,” she sobs, wrapping her arms around me and nuzzling up to my chest. “Please let me stay with you. Please.”

I inhale the scent of her hair as she peppers k****s on my chest to convince me to stay. But she was only convincing me of the opposite. I wanted to enjoy our time together without the constant fear of Julian and the witches looming in the back of my mind.

I tilt her head up to mine and press my lips against hers, savoring her taste. She was my home and my home was under attack. I could not just sit back and do nothing. I had to fight. For her. For my little Sun and my little Moon. For our family. For our Kingdom.

My hand caresses the side of her cheeks, wiping the tears away as I k**s her. My fingers dance down her curves until they interlock with her fingers and I bring them up to my lips.

“Let’s get out of this room,” I whisper. “Let’s go to the beach.”

“Teo, that’s not-“

“Let’s go to the beach,” I repeat, letting her know that my mind is set.

Sofia purses her lips angrily and I know this conversation is far from over. Nonetheless, I help her up, her big belly a bit too heavy for her at this point and she g****s tiredly.

“They need to come out now!” she whines, rubbing her stomach.

I walk up behind her and gently cradle her stomach in my hands, lifting the weight off of her. She sighs in contentment as I hold our pups for her and she lets her head rest on my shoulder. We stand like this for several minutes, my pups liking being held by me as they sit quietly in her stomach. I can’t wait to meet my little girls and hold them in person.

These past few weeks, we’ve learned a lot about their little personalities. My Aurorita is a shy and quiet pup, sitting still whenever I read to her but growing excited whenever she hears music. My little Celi, on the other hand, is a ball of energy, always keeping her mommy awake throughout the night with her little kicks. She likes when Sofia sings to her. It is the only time she goes quiet. But most of all, our babies love to be held by their mother and I, both of them going still in our hands, safe and sound in our arms.

I love this, Luis whispers as I hold our pups.

After about 10 minutes of comforting silence, I gently release Sofia’s belly and she leans her body against mine, bending her neck backwards so I can peck her lips.

“I love you,” she murmurs, my heart filling with unadulterated joy.

I will never grow tired of hearing her say those three magic words.

I mind-link Emiliano and Valentina, inviting them to join us for a beach day. Sofia fusses over which bikini to wear while I order us some room service and pack us the food, blankets, and other essentials into a bag. By the time I finish, I find Sofia crying on her bed, unable to decide what to wear.

“I’ll look like a whale!” She sobs into her pillow. “And you’ll find someone sexy on the beach and leave me!”

I roll my eyes as I walk over to her and her pile of bikinis. Carefully going through each pair, I select a sexy red two piece and toss it to her.

“This one,” I smirk, undressing in front of her and putting on some swim trunks. “Put this one on.”

“But I’ll look…”

“Absolutely sexy,” I finish for her, trapping her body beneath mine on the bed. “And you will be the only sexy someone I’ll find at the beach today… besides myself.”

She giggles as she scrambles to undress, her smile instantly brightening up the room. Sofia grabs a lacy cover up, a large hat and glasses, modeling her look for me. I grab my camera and snap a few photos as she laughs, wanting to capture my happy Queen and our pups forever.

Hand in hand, we walk out to the lobby, several guests turning to ogle my beautiful mate. I puff out my chest proudly for I had the most beautiful woman by my side. The twins and their families are outside waiting for us and we make the short walk to the very beach where I first met my wife.

Our first encounter seems like such a distant memory now. I was just a 17 year old prick trying my best to annoy the little princess who bumped into me. Little did I know that little princess would turn my life upside down and make me the happiest man on earth.

We set up camp in a pleasant spot and I leave the umbrella by a chair for Sofia to rest in the shade. Emi, Danny, and I race off to the water, eager to let off some steam and play like we used to when we were just pups without the weight of the world on our shoulders. Valentina remains on the shores, showing Dieguito the gentle waves, the little boy squealing with joy as the water covers his toes. Sofia and Karina work together to build sand castles with Chava, the green eyed pup digging for seashells to decorate his shapeless masterpiece.

Sofia looks up from her work and our eyes meet. Just as the first time, the entire world fades away, leaving only us two. She smiles at me and I scramble back onto the shore, needing to have her in my arms.

“Hey silly,” she giggles as I embrace her, not caring that I was soaking wet. “What do you want?”

“You,” I grin, lifting her into my arms bridal style.

“Mateo!” She squeals, pounding on my back and laughing. “Mateo put me down, you lunatic!”

I ignore her screams and carry her off into the water, Sofia shouting at me as she clutches onto my body. A small wave crashes against us and I shield her body with mine. Emiliano brings me a small boogie board and Sofia climbs on while I push her deeper into the sea.

“Are you planning on drowning me?” she laughs as I push her into some quiet waters.

“No,” I murmur, resting my chin on the board as I look up at her to admire her beauty. “I just wanted to be with you… Just you and our pups.”

I place my hand on her belly and k**s our pups gently, wondering how it was possible to be this happy and content. We sit quietly in the water, turning back to watch the smiling faces of our family on the shore.

“Come on,” I whisper, pushing Sofia towards my favorite place in the world. “Let’s go to the cave.”

La Cueva Altamirano is a hidden cave on the face of the rocky cliffs. I had discovered it as a pup while on a swim and had been coming here ever since. When Emi was old enough to swim, he would join me on numerous quests to explore the small network of caves. Unlike the cave in El Naciemiento, Cueva Altamirano was not completely submerged in water. Instead, the cave was deep and narrow near the mouth but would eventually widen to a large space with a small puddle of water, a sandy shore, and rocks

I help Sofia off the board and set her down on a large boulder. She looks around curiously and I smile proudly at my favorite space, explaining to her all my little adventures as a kid. She closes her eyes as if to imagine me jumping between the rocks in search of hidden treasure.

“Our pups will love it here,” she sighs, placing her hand on her tummy as I lay on the sand beside her.

She slowly slides onto her knees and curls up beside me, laying her head on my arm and tracing shapes on my wet chest. At a long silence, she starts to chatter away.

“When did you first realize you loved me?” She asks, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

I k**s her lips slowly before I answer. “I can’t exactly pinpoint a time when it happened,” I reply honestly. “All I know is… when it did, I couldn’t let you go anymore. Not for anyone… you were mine,” I murmur. “You were all mine.”

She smiles with satisfaction and lays her head against my chest.

“I fell in love with you on the rooftop…” she whispers against my skin. “I was having a panic attack… and I couldn’t breathe until you came along,” she adds quietly. “I still can’t breathe without you.”

She k****s me long and slow, her swollen stomach pressing into my side. I roll her onto her back and climb on top, gazing down at her smiling face and trying to memorize every perfect curve.

She looks as beautiful as the day I met her, the fire in her eyes burning brighter with determination and love. Her pouty pink lips now have an owner and the scent on her glistening skin is now the only scent I crave.

“What’s wrong?” Sofia giggles nervously, biting her lower l*p as she blushes.

“I love you Sofia,” I whisper, tucking a stand of her hair behind her ear. “And I will always love you.”

A large smile spreads across her cheeks and she leans forward to k**s my nose.

“And I’ll always love you, Teo,” she whispers back. “Always.”

We lay a little longer in each other’s arms before Sofia’s stomach starts growling furiously. I help her back onto the board and we swim out into the warmer waters of the gulf coast.

Along the shores, we see Emiliano and Karina splashing carelessly in the water like the young happy couple they were while Danny and Valentina eat lazily on the beach, both Chava and Diego fast asleep under the umbrella.

I push my wife towards the beach and help her dry off her legs and feet. Sofia sits on my lap and feasts on some sandwiches and chips, feeding me between bites.

A group of girls nearby laugh and jeer as they watch Sofia eat carelessly, surmising that I was stuck with her because she was pregnant.

Luis laughs angrily. Show them, he snarls. Show them who our Queen is.

I push aside Sofia’s hair, exposing her neck and shoulders, and begin kissing her delicate skin. Sofia laughs as she bites into her sandwich but I do not stop my k****s, keeping my eyes on the group of girls who blush and look away in embarrassment.

Stupid Bitches, Luis grumbles.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know?” She says, although I see the satisfied smirk on her lips. “I know you love me and my fatass,” she adds with a chuckle.

I smother her with k****s. “Yes, I do,” I reply, giving her a slight spank. “But I wanted to enjoy the look on their faces too,” I laugh.

Sofia happily takes another bite and hands me the half eaten sandwich before laying her head on my lap and attempting a nap. I have Danny readjust the umbrella to keep her safe in the shade. Emiliano and Karina return from the water and join us on the beach for lunch when Danny pulls out a guitar. Like clockwork, Sofia is up, muttering at her tummy.

“Aurora is driving me crazy,” Sofia grumbles as rests her hand on her belly.

“She’s a dancer like her daddy,” I shrug, jumping to my feet and helping Sofia up. “Come dance with me!”

Danny plays louder as Sofia and I dance, Emiliano and Karina soon joining in. Valentina snaps pictures of us and I pose for her, kissing my Queen and our princesses. I even carry Sofia for a picture, Sofia throwing her head back in laughter as I k**s her neck. Sofia turns to me and plants a k**s right on my lips, Valentina snapping a hundred more photos of us.

“Step back a little so I can get all of you in the photo,” Valentina instructs, raising the camera up a bit.

Emiliano and I sandwich Sofia between us and he then drapes his arm on Karina on his other side and pulls her in close. Chava wakes up from the noise and cries, wanting to be a part of the picture.

I scoop him up in my free arm and lift him onto my shoulders.

“Smile!” Valentina chirps as she snaps a photo.

“Get in here!” I wave her over and she hands the camera to Danny.

She lifts Diego into her arms and settles at my side. Emiliano asks a stranger walking by to take our picture and he obliges, Danny posing beside Valentina.

We thank the stranger with a beer and Emiliano takes the camera from him. Danny picks up the guitar and begins to play once more, Sofia and I dancing terribly on the sand.

As the sun begins to set, I help Emi and Danny build a small fire and we snuggle up with our spouses, recounting stories of our childhood and the pranks we pulled in the Royal army. The spring breeze feels good as we sit around the fire, laughing and drinking beer.

Chava and Diego fall asleep in their mothers arms and I can tell Sofia is struggling to keep her eyes open. We decide to call it a night and I carry Sofia back to our hotel room. I happily rinse out the sand in her butt and boobs, taking my sweet time to ensure not a grain of sand was left on her incredible curves.

Clean and ready for bed, Sofia and I curl up together and she falls asleep. I, however, struggle to close my eyes, the looming fear of Julian and the witches lingering in the back of my mind.

Restless and uneasy, I climb out of bed and sit at the desk, staring at the blank pages in front of me. The fear in my heart spills onto the empty sheets of silver wolf paper and I seal my message to my brother and sister in two small envelopes.

Sofia stirs and g****s as I stuff the two envelopes into my passport and I quickly hide them away in the desk drawer before she sees them.

“Come back to bed with me,” Sofia calls out as she rolls over onto her back and spreads her arms out for me. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Oh yes,” I laugh as I climb into bed with her. “You and your viscous belly.”

She chuckles softly and wraps her arms around me, stroking my hair with her fingers. Even in the dark, her golden eyes stand out as they gaze upon me.

“Thank you for today,” she murmurs.

I turn to look at her and smile back. “No, thank you…”

“For what?” She chuckles.

I shrug. “For bumping into me all those years ago.” She g****s in annoyance and I chuckle softly. “I love you.”

“Shut up,” she mumbles.

I roll on top of her and pin her arms to the bed, my eyes holding her fiery gaze. “I love you,” I wink and she blushes.

“I love you too…”