10. The Final Stand

Faye's pulse thrummed in her ears as Nikos' words echoed in the air. Surrounded. There was no more running, no more hiding. Her chest tightened as the weight of the situation bore down on her. This was the moment everything came crashing down.

Alaric's face was a stone mask of determination, his eyes locked on the door as Nikos outlined their next move. "We'll head for the north exit," Nikos said, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "There's a passageway that leads to the old warehouse district. If we can make it there, we'll lose them in the maze of alleys."

"And if we can't?" Faye asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She knew the answer, but she needed to hear it out loud.

Nikos looked at her, his expression grim. "Then we fight."

Alaric's hand tightened around the gun at his side, his jaw clenched. "We'll make it."

Faye wasn't so sure. The looming threat of Meline's men was suffocating, pressing in on all sides. She had been through so much already—escaped from Alaric's suffocating world, slapped Meline in front of half the city's elite, and now she was in the middle of a battle she never wanted to be a part of.

And yet, here she was.

She swallowed hard, pushing down the fear that was clawing at her chest. She had to survive this. For herself. For her unborn children.

Alaric stepped closer to her, his voice low and urgent. "Stay behind me, Faye. No matter what happens, stay close. I won't let them hurt you."

Faye met his gaze, her heart beating wildly in her chest. There was something raw in his eyes, something that hadn't been there before. It was the closest thing to vulnerability she had ever seen from him, and it unnerved her.

Before she could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from down the hall. Nikos tensed, his hand going to his gun. "They're here."

Alaric nodded sharply. "Get ready."

Faye's heart leapt into her throat as the door to the abandoned building slammed open. Meline's men poured in, dark figures in tactical gear, their weapons gleaming in the dim light. They moved with precision, like predators closing in on their prey.

Alaric moved in front of her, his gun raised, his entire body a shield. Nikos was already firing, his shots ringing out in the narrow space. Faye pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible, her mind racing. She had never been this close to real violence before, never seen what it looked like when lives were on the line.

The gunfire was deafening, ricocheting off the walls as Alaric and Nikos took down the first wave of attackers. But more were coming, and Faye knew they wouldn't last much longer. She could see it in the way Alaric's shoulders tightened, the way his movements became more desperate with each passing second.

Time seemed to slow as one of Meline's men broke through the line of fire, heading straight for them. Alaric turned, firing, but the man was fast—too fast. He lunged at Alaric, tackling him to the ground with a force that knocked the wind out of him.

"Alaric!" Faye screamed, her voice hoarse with panic.

Alaric struggled beneath the man, his gun skidding across the floor out of reach. The attacker raised a knife, his eyes cold and merciless. Faye's breath hitched, her body frozen in place.

For a moment, she thought it was over.

But then something shifted inside her. A surge of adrenaline, of sheer survival instinct, coursed through her veins. She couldn't just stand there. She couldn't let Alaric die—not like this, not when so much was at stake.

Without thinking, she grabbed a metal pipe that had been discarded on the floor, her hands shaking as she lifted it. She rushed forward, swinging with all the strength she had left. The pipe connected with the side of the attacker's head with a sickening crack.

He crumpled to the ground.

Alaric gasped for breath, his eyes wide as he looked up at her. "Faye…"

But there was no time to talk. More of Meline's men were pouring in, and they were running out of time. Nikos was holding them off, but he couldn't last much longer. They needed to move.

Alaric scrambled to his feet, grabbing his gun and pulling her close. "We're getting out of here. Now."

They moved as one, weaving through the chaos of the fight. Nikos was covering their retreat, firing off shots with deadly accuracy. Faye's heart pounded in her chest as they made a break for the exit, her legs burning with the effort.

Just as they reached the doorway, a figure blocked their path.

Meline.

She stood there, her face twisted with fury, her eyes blazing with hatred. "You really thought you could escape me, Faye?" she snarled, her voice dripping with venom. "After everything you've done?"

Faye's stomach dropped. This was it. The final confrontation. There was no more running, no more hiding.

Alaric stepped in front of her, his gun aimed squarely at Meline's chest. "Let her go, Meline. This is between you and me."

Meline laughed, a cruel, bitter sound that echoed through the narrow hallway. "Oh, Alaric. Still playing the hero? Still pretending you care about anyone but yourself?"

Faye's mind raced. She had to do something. She couldn't just stand there and watch as this woman tore their lives apart. But what could she do? Meline was powerful, ruthless, and she had an army at her back.

Then it hit her.

The truth.

Faye stepped forward, her voice shaking but steady. "Meline, you want revenge? Fine. But you're not just hurting me—you're hurting your own blood."

Meline's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Faye took a deep breath. This was it. "I'm pregnant. With Alaric's twins."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Meline's expression faltered, just for a second, but it was enough. Alaric seized the moment, pulling Faye through the doorway and into the night. They ran, Nikos following close behind, the chaos of the fight fading into the distance.

As they disappeared into the shadows, Faye's heart pounded with a mix of fear and hope. She had just revealed the one thing she had been trying to keep hidden for so long. And now, everything had changed.

There was no going back.