The Gold Queen (Prequel)

*** Mateo***

.

June 19th, 2002

.

“Sir, we raided the house but it was empty.”

Where could Queen Lorena and her son have gone? Luis asks.

“Have you seen any signs of HIM?” I ask the soldier who shakes his head in response.

“No, sir. No one was in the house. Not even a maid.”

This worries me. About a week ago, we got word from the southern provinces that there was a lot of movement going on in Julian’s territory. Lots of large shipments were crossing the Panuco River and reaching Tampico in our territory. I’ve been staying in Ciudad Cuahtemoc, much to Sofia’s dismay, to keep an eye on Julian’s movements but so far, no one seems to know where the f*****g bastard is hiding. We’ve been striking their territory and finally stormed the house today.

Meanwhile, Sofia and the pups are back at home. After a lot of arguing, Sofia returned to Mante where she felt safest. To keep my mind at ease, I had Emiliano and Karina as well as over a hundred guards stay behind to protect Sofia while I am away.

I g***n to myself as I think of any possible place Julian could be hiding in. I did not leave my Queen and our pups alone just to come back empty handed.

“Sweep the territory again. Thoroughly,” I command, the soldier running off to instruct his subordinates.

“Sir, I think we should go home,” Danny says after a long silence. “There’s no one of importance to us here and I’m sure Sofia will want you home now with the pups almost due.”

I sigh heavily. I feel like a failure coming home without Julian’s head. I had wanted him gone before the pups came.

You can kill him later, Luis grumbles. Danny is right. Sofia and the pups are our top priority.

The soldier returns with the same verdict and I begrudgingly call the search off. Danny pats me proudly on the back but I have an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach that puts Luis on edge.

“Call Sofia,” I tell Danny and he quickly dials her number and puts her on speaker.

“Hello?” Sofia asks, her voice a bit annoyed.

She’s been very irritable lately, the pups driving her mad with discomfort as they press on virtually every internal organ in her body.

“How are you feeling? Everything okay at home?” I ask, my anxiousness still lingering.

“I’m fine, Teo,” she mutters under her breath. “I would be a lot better if you were here instead of running around playing hero.”

I chuckle at her remark and she huffs in annoyance.

“I’m coming home, baby,” I announce.

Her mood instantly changes. “Really?” she giggles, her voice going up two octaves with her excitement. I could practically see her smile.

“I’ll be all yours in 2 hours or so,” I reply.

She squeals into the phone before asking me to pick up tacos de lengua on the way home.

“Anything else, your Majesty?” I ask.

“Just come home to me in one piece Teo,” She murmurs. “Forget the tacos. Just come home to me.”

The drive seems endless, but as I pull up to the hacienda, I feel myself slowly come at ease. I make my way to the bedroom and find Sofia arguing with her belly, Emiliano watching in amusement.

“Come out already!” She huffs at our pups. When they don’t respond, she gently caresses her belly and softens her voice. “Please? I’ll be a good mommy. Just come out for me.”

“They‘ll come out when they’re good and ready,” I smile as I climb onto the bed, Sofia’s tacos in my hand.

Sofia wiggles her toes excitedly as she uses her swollen belly as a table and digs into her meal.

“Oww,” she suddenly g****s as the pups kick against her.

I k**s her forehead. “Hang in there,” I sigh.

“Hang in there,” she mocks back. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have 15 lbs of baby in you.”

“Someone needs a nap,” I smirk and she tosses a pillow at me.

“Don’t say that to her,” Emi mutters, soothing his shoulder. “She’s already beaten me for it.”

“Sir, Estrella del Monte wolves! They’re here!” a guard mind-links me. “We’re under attack!”

The b***d drains from my face as I realize Julian had been here the whole time, watching and waiting to attack.

“Alert every pack in the kingdom that we are under attack and need backup!” I snap.

“Teo?” Sofia calls out, her face full of concern. She attempts to sit up but struggles with her belly. “Is everything alright?”

Luis enters protective mode and I begin barking orders at Emi. “Get Sofia in the car. Her go-bags are already there. Just get her out.”

“Wait, Teo. What’s going on?” Sofia asks, her voice growing small as Emiliano picks her up.

Karina and Danny burst through the door.

“What do you need?” Danny asks.

“Here are the passports and everyone’s documents,” I say, rummaging through my desk and handing him the envelopes he’ll need to get everyone to safety. “I need you to get Valentina and the boys down stairs to the car. Now!” He nods and rushes down the hall to get his wife and the kids ready to go. I turn to Karina. “Get the guards ready to escort you guys out of here. You’ll be taking the Queen to a safe location in Nuevo Leon.”

“Yes, sir,” She salutes, rushing off to get the guards.

“Teo, what is going on!” Sofia demands.

I cup Sofia’s cheeks and k**s her on the forehead. “Julian is here.”

A low whimper escapes her lips and I smooth down her hair to comfort her.

“Listen to me, I need you to go with Emi to the safe house in Nuevo Leon.”

“And what about you?” she asks, her lips quivering.

I feel my heart clench as her eyes fill with tears. “I will stay here and hold off Julian and his troops until backup arrives.”

She bursts into tears and shakes her head. “No! No! You come with us!”

I wipe her wet cheeks and k**s her gently on the lips, savoring her sweet taste. “No, baby. I can’t. I need to make sure you and the pups get out safely.” She shakes her head and cries uncontrollably. “Hey, hey, hey. Look at me. Look at me,” I murmur, holding her head up so our eyes meet. “I will meet you there soon. Okay? But you have to go now.” I stare at her sternly, my mind completely made up. “You have to go, baby.”

Large tears roll down her cheeks and I let Luis come out to reassure her. “You have to go,” he murmurs. “Please.”

She presses her lips against mine for a long and deep k**s, my heart beating vigorously in my chest for her.

“Come back to me Teo. Promise you’ll come back to me,” She cries.

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ears and k**s her forehead. “I’ll always come back to you. I promise.”

Danny bursts through the door with the boys in each arm. “We gotta go. Those wolves aren’t slowing down.”

I turn to Sofia and my pups, caressing her belly and kissing my babies goodbye. “I’ll see you soon, my loves.”

Emi says nothing as he readjusts Sofia in his arms.

“Take care of my girls,” I sigh.

“Always,” he replies.

Together, we make our way down to the driveway of the Hacienda, Danny and Emi loading Sofia, Valentina, and the pups in the car. Karina shows up with six guards in wolf form, three of them lining up on the passenger’s side while another three line up on the driver’s side. Luis whines as he watches our family drive off.

“Be safe, my loves,” Solana mind-links us, Sofia staring out at us through the window.

Guillermo, the former beta of Sol de Oro, arrives with a troop of men.

“Ready when you are,” He says, shifting into his wolf.

I turn in the direction of the training grounds, Julian marching towards us in the distance.

Finally…

Without another word, I jump-shift into my wolf and sprint towards him, my eyes zeroing in on my target. Julian smirks as he stares back at me, getting on all fours and taking his wolf form. His fur lights on fire, red and orange flames spewing from his eyes.

Luis purrs excitedly, eager to take on our greatest rival.

The wind rushes through my fur and as I approach Julian, I push back on my hind legs, using every ounce of strength I have in me to lunge at him. My body collides with his mid-air and I ignore the burning sensation that overcomes me as I clamp my jaws down on his shoulder.

We crash onto the ground, our claws tearing into each other as we fight for control. His burning body singes my fur but I push on knowing I have to end this now.

After tussling on the open field, I finally manage to push him off of me and get up on my paws.

His wolf smirks at me, a bit of b***d trickling down his snout. The wolf morphs into his human form and Julian wipes away at his bleeding mouth with his forearm, he palms still engulfed in flames.

“Well, well, well,” he smiles as he spits out b***d. “Looks like Sofia finally realized you were nothing but a worthless mutt and left you here for dead.”

Luis bursts into laughter at his delusion and I shift into my human form.

“How pathetic,” I laugh, Julian’s smile faltering. “Six years…” I grin. “She chose me six years ago and you still can’t seem to get over that she chose me over you.”

His face grows grim as I poke at his ego and I hold back my own laughter.

“Does it make you mad to see her so happy with me?” I ask, tilting my head in curiosity. “That it’s my name she m***s when we make love? Does it make you mad to know it’s my pups in her belly and not yours?”

His lips curl into a snarl.

“Why don’t we settle this once and for all, Julian?” I ask, hoping he’ll bite. “How about a rematch? You and I. No weapons, No powers, just like our challenge for Sofia only this time, no one will save you when I win.”

Julian grins, the flames of his palms going out.

“Let’s begin,” he chuckles.

Unlike all of our previous matches, Julian does not immediately lunge at me. Instead he sizes me up, circling me with his fists in front of his face. After all these years, he finally understands that I am much stronger than he is.

I keep my guard up as I circle him because if there’s anything I know about Julian, it’s that he doesn’t play fair.

I throw the first punch which he blocks but I move quickly and hook my ankle behind his, dropping him to the ground. We roll around, throwing punches at each other until he gets the upper hand and pins me to the ground. Blows rain down on me but Luis keeps me focused.

Time it right, he snaps.

Seeing my chance as Julian raises his fist to punch me, I throw a right hook, knocking him off of me. I scramble to my feet and pounce on him before he can get up, grabbing him by the hair and punching his face over and over again, ignoring the burning sensation on my knuckles.

I hear the crunch of his nose as it breaks and I go into a blind fury, remembering all the things this man had ever done to my family.

How he had taken advantage of my wife… killed my parents… killed hers… attacked my kingdom… attacked my pups… Attacked my life in virtually every possible way.

But it ends now.

I deliver a hard blow to his head and just as I feel victory closing, the wind gets knocked out of me, Julian jamming his knee in my stomach. I fall off of him, taking a huge gulp of air as I collapse onto my side. Julian attempts to get up but his eyes are nearly swollen shut and he struggles to find me.

Now’s your chance, Luis growls.

I scramble to Julian and hook my arm around his neck, pulling him back so I land flat on my back with him on top. I anchor my feet on the ground and begin to squeeze his throat between my bicep and chest, his face quickly turning red as he squirms.

Julian fights against me, thrashing his body violently but I hold onto him firmly, using every ounce of strength in me. Slowly, his movements grow weaker and weaker until his life hangs on by a thread. I lean into his ear, my breath heavy.

“I win,” I whisper just as his body goes limp.

I toss his body aside, panting breathless as I stare up at the starry night. After catching my breath, I stumble onto my feet, ready to rejoin the battle when I hear a slight movement behind me.

Look out! Luis cries but I am already two steps ahead of him.

I jump out of the way of the fireball hurtling towards me, rolling over and landing back on my feet. I find Julian propped up by one elbow, his other fist on fire and aimed at me.

“I knew you wouldn’t play fair,” I chuckle to myself, my eyes going to his stomach.

I envision his intestines in my hand and squeeze, Julian’s eyes bulging open as he screams. B***d quickly spills from his mouth as I destroy his internal organs with my mind. Annoyed with his sounds, I visualize a hand on his tongue and rip it out, his gaping mouth still silently screaming. I then focus on his larynx and crush it. He gasps for air but he never finds it and collapses on his side, dead.

Wanting to ensure he could hurt no one ever again, I focus on his every limb and pull them apart in different directions until they come off his torso. I grab a torch from one of the sparring rings and set his remains on fire.

“I win, A*****e,” I mutter, spitting on his body as it’s consumed by the flames.

Around me, the fighting slows down as my men plow through Julian’s wolves, victory just at our fingertips. From the corner of my eye, however, I see a red eyed black owl perched up on a tree. Chills run down my spine as it grins at me before opening its beak and shrieking like a banshee. Off in the distance, I see an army of vampires sprinting towards us.

Holy… shit… Luis gasps.

Several of my remaining troops gather behind me, awaiting orders. Guillermo steps forward, a bit starstruck by the size of the vampire army.

“Sir, a few reinforcements have arrived but the rest are still a ways out,” he says. “What do you wish to do?”

I stare at the many faces awaiting my command and am proud to report there is not an ounce of fear in their eyes. We are badly outnumbered but my wolves are ready to fight…. And for the first time in my relationship with Sofia, I choose to break my promise to her.

“Soldiers,” I command, all of the wolves giving me their undivided attention. “You have served your Kingdom well. Your Queen and your future heirs are headed to safety. I ask you now to continue to protect her Majesty and make sure not a single night crawler makes it past this territory. It has been a privilege being your King, ladies and gentlemen.” I turn to the impending army heading our way. “Long live Queen Sofia!”

“Long Live Queen Sofia!” they respond as I shift and take the lead. “Viva el Rey Mateo, {Long live King Mateo}.”

Guillermo runs alongside me as he once had with King Juan Carlos, teeth bared and ready to snap a b***d sucker’s neck.

“It has been an honor serving you and Sofia, my King,” he mind-links. “Viva Sol De Oro!”

Our small army clashes with vampires and for a brief moment, the world falls silent as claws, teeth, fangs, and canines tear into flesh, the earth staining with b***d. Bodies collide as silver arrows rain from the sky, our numbers dwindling by the second.

I hold off several vampires telepathically but my strength slowly runs out when a silver tipped arrow pierces through my shoulder.

Keep fighting, Luis urges.

Unwilling to give up, I continue to fight the oncoming vampires, my teeth sinking into a vampire’s throat and tearing its head clean off.

Suddenly, I feel a small dart hit me on the side of my neck, it’s cold liquid burning through my veins. My body shifts into its human form, Luis falling silent. Two vampires grab hold of my arms while the rest part to the side, letting a young woman through.

She has long brown hair and bright red eyes, a sinister grin lingering on her lips.

“Hello, your majesty,” the woman says, the owl perching on her shoulder. She caresses my cheek, her fingernails digging into my skin. “Do you know who I am?” she asks.

I stare at her, my face expressionless.

“Oh you don’t know,” the woman chuckles, tapping my cheeks. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Tais, the mastermind behind this…” she gestures to the ongoing battle. “Little party.” She inhales the scent of death and m***s. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She sighs. “All the little wolves painting the earth with their b***d. It truly is a masterpiece for the Gods looking down upon us.”

I growl as I look at the c*****e around me.

“Do you know what I’ve wanted to do to you since I first laid eyes on you?” She asks, leaning in close to my ear. “Bathe in your b***d.”

She turns my chin to k**s me on the lips and I spit on her face. The two vampires holding me dig their claws into my arms, one of them pushing the arrow in my shoulder further in. I let out a growl and they both smirk at me.

“It’s alright, my pets,” the witch smiles, another vampire handing her a long black sword with white inscriptions on its blade. “He’ll pay soon enough.”

She presses the sword against my chest, the blade drawing b***d as it slides down to my stomach. I squirm against the pain but refuse to scream, biting down on my tongue to keep my sounds from escaping me.

She digs her fingers into the large cut and I thrash in agony.

“Does that hurt?” she asks with a grin, taking her fingers and licking the b***d off them.

I glare at the b***h, letting her know I do not fear her.

“No? Well how about this?” She snarls, burying the sword in my chest.

I suck in air as pain explodes throughout my body, my eyes bulging with the metallic taste filling my mouth. The witch’s lips curl as she turns the blade left and right, my body trembling in agony.

“I will find your mate and pups,” she whispers in my ear “And I will spill the b***d of gold and ivory too.”

A white mist exits my wound like a stream and she opens her mouth to drink it all in, but the second my essence touches her lips, she screams. The mist disappears and Tais pulls the sword from my body, b***d spilling onto my skin. I shiver as my warmth leaves me until I lose feeling in my arms and legs. The arrow in my shoulder stops hurting and for a brief moment, I feel nothing.

“You may feed from him,” Tais commands the vampires, turning her back to me. “He’s of no use to me now.”

I look down at the gaping wound in my chest, my vision slowly starting to fade in and out.

The eyes of the two vampires holding me fill with need and hunger. I suddenly find myself flat on my back, my eyes looking to the stars. They look like the stars on the night I met Sofia on the roof.

She looked so pretty that night. Did I ever tell her that? I wonder.

The first vampire plunges his tongue into my chest while the other tilts my head to the side and sinks its fangs into my neck. It doesn’t hurt, my body now completely numb.

I can’t feel my hands … Sofia liked to hold my hands. Who will hold her hand when I’m gone?

I remember all her little quirks that made me laugh. How she hated to dance … but she would dance for me…

As the darkness closes in on me, images of my life with Sofia flash before my eyes and I’m left to wonder what it would have been like to grow old with her.. to watch our little girls grow up into beautiful women.

Who would walk them down the aisle when they married?

My breathing grows labored and I take a last gulp of air.

I love you Sofia…

And then it all fades away…