Being carried about over someone's shoulders after a heavy meal was literally the most stomach-churning experience ever. Aidan struggled to keep his dinner down as his body jerked about while the vampire continued running. The kidnappers dashed through the woods for a time before reaching a large clearing of tall grass, running even faster than before. By his crude estimate, the creatures were doing at least fifty-five miles per hour, almost twice the speed that the fastest human had ever done.

When he was certain he wouldn't be able to keep it down for much longer, Aidan did the only thing he could. He raised his foot as high up as it could go before bringing it down with full force between the vampire's legs. The effect of his actions was instantaneous, with the vampire stopping in his tracks, dropping Aidan flat on the damp and mushy ground while clutching his abused groin in a half-crouch.

On his end, Aidan was left clutching at his foot, which felt like it had just kicked a lump of solid steel.

'Nutcracker's nuts!' Aidan internally screamed while massaging his foot until the pain had ebbed a fraction.

Gritting his teeth, he reached behind his head to untie the cloth gag, then chanced a look at the still bent-double man; although it was dark, the little available light allowed him to glimpse the face of his kidnapper for the first time. The vampire was deathly pale, with eyes the colour of caramel toffee, matching the colour of his hair. Presently, his face was contorted into a painful grimace, his lips pulled back to reveal small, sharp fangs that began extending till they reached over his lower lip.

"You little shit!" His voice was slightly high-pitched and nasally, although Aidan wondered if it sounded that way because he'd just been kicked in the family jewels. From behind him came an unsympathetic chuckle as his other captor spoke up in an unfamiliar accent that Aidan couldn't place, "Well, human, that was a ballsy move."

The vampire laughed at his own lame joke as Aidan twisted around and squinted, trying to make him out. He was as equally pale in complexion as his companion but with short, dead-straight hair matching the ink of night, and dark brown eyes sparkling with humour. Without waiting for the other vampire to recover, the dark-haired one reached down to lift Aidan.

"I will puke all over you if you even think of throwing me over your shoulder like some ragdoll," Aidan threatened, trying his best to discourage the vampire with a glare.

"No worries, I'll just carry you in my arms like a princess," he drawled in reply before doing just that. "No more excuses for chundering all over the place, yeah?" Aidan gritted his teeth as he was once again carried off in the second captor's arms, but at least he didn't feel nauseated. On and on, they ran past grasslands and fields of crops, never stopping. The speeds they were going felt more like a fast car ride than a run.

There was an unspoken tenseness in the atmosphere between the vampires the longer they travelled, as if a time limit existed to getting where they wanted to be. It took Aidan a while to realise that the vampires were out in the open, with nowhere to hide from the fast approaching dawn. They had a deathly deadline to keep, or else the two were toast, the burnt-to-a-crisp kind.

"There it is!" The caramel-haired vampire excitedly shouted while pointing at a speck in the distance, madly rushing towards it even as the night sky continued to lighten. They were about a kilometre away when Aidan could finally discern a small cottage, out of place in the otherwise deserted lands.

Once they were nearer, Aidan noticed that although the structure was old, it was in solid condition and sealed tight with all its wooden shutters closed. Someone opened the door from the inside as his captors dashed in before slamming it shut.

The dark-haired vampire placed Aidan back on his own two feet before saying, "For a moment there, I thought I'd need my sunnies," while pretending to put a pair of sunglasses on his head.

Glad to finally be free from the clutches of the vampires, Aidan stood in the middle of the room and moved in a slow circle to take in his surroundings. The interior was bare, without a single piece of furniture in sight. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling corners in long tendrils, pointing to the cottage being disused for years.

The only source of light came from the dozen or so lit candles haphazardly placed along the floor, trickling ever so slowly into waxy puddles. Piled in a corner of the room were four sets of tinted helmets and additional clothing. The vampire he'd kicked in the balls noticed the pile too, and was now checking the helmets out.

Aidan was two thirds through the turn around the room when his gaze fell on the new occupants of the cottage. Two other vampires were present besides his initial captors, and to his shock, he recognised them both. The first was the white-blond man with long hair that Robert had knocked unconscious with the toxic aerosol.

Subject V-01.

He was still staring daggers at Aidan, making the poor human inwardly flinch. Standing beside him was the beautiful woman with chestnut brown hair, the one who had seemed to be staring into the depths of his soul with those piercing sky-blue eyes.

Aidan hadn't known she was a vampire back then, but even now that he did, she still remained one of the most beautiful beings he had ever seen. He was sure they had never met prior, and yet, there was something about her that seemed oddly familiar.

The newcomer vampires were in a rather sorry state, covered all over in smudgy dirt and grass stains, and yet there seemed to be an ethereal aura about them that stood the two apart from Aidan's initial captors. Try as he might, Aidan couldn't quite place a finger on what it was that made them seem different.

"Is it him?" The blond vampire asked the beauty, sounding unsure.

She, in turn continued to stare at Aidan, those striking blue eyes making him fidget about in discomfort. "Without a doubt, it's him," she finally said, breaking into a smile. Aidan could only stand frozen in place as she approached him and unexpectedly placed both hands gently on his face, cupping his cheeks while gazing into his eyes with unmistakable adoration in her own teary ones. "You've finally returned to us after all this time."

Oddly enough, her touch was comforting, calming even. In fact, it didn't seem enough and he yearned for more. He wanted her to hug him, to comfort him, to– Aidan paused mid thought. What was he thinking? 'What the hell is wrong with me, wanting to be hugged by a vampire?!' A wave of confusion followed by embarrassment overcame Aidan before he forced himself to snap out of it.

"Oookay?" Aidan said out loud, trying to sound nonchalant as he stared back at her with what he hoped was a blank face even as another wave of irrepressible, warm emotions gently washed over him.

"Lannetta, you confuse him," the blond vampire pointed out, coming to stand beside her. "Perhaps introductions are in order?"

"Of course, how rude of me." She let go of his face and took a step back, rapidly blinking away the moisture. "I am Qu- that is, I am called Lannetta." She then pointed out the others. "This is Maxim," referring to her blond companion, "and you are probably familiar by now with Byron and Flint," indicating the dark-haired vampire and his nasal-pitched accomplice.

Aidan gave them a half-hearted hand wave, "Aidan Summers." He decided it best to get it over with and tell them the truth. "Listen, I don't know anything about the facility or what they were doing there. I had no idea what was going on till yesterday. I swear I'm of no help to you. Will you please just let me go?"

Maxim shook his head, "We don't care about the facility."

Aidan wasn't expecting that answer. "Then what do you want?"

Lannetta spoke up, choosing her words carefully, "Aidan, have you ever had dreams that felt too real? Dreams of places you've never been to or people you've never met before?"

No one besides his immediate family knew this, not even his closest friends. The only people in the world who currently knew of his dreams were Hailey and Gavin. Fear, sudden and strong, made the hairs on his arms stand up on end, his pulse going from a slow waltz to a lively jive in a heartbeat, but Aidan tried to hide his emotions behind a calm facade. "How did you know?"

"I know, because... because we've met. In a past life." Lannetta's voice held an unmistakable fondness. "Those dreams are memories from your previous life."

Aidan wasn't as surprised as he thought he ought to be, not after what his brother had told him. Gavin and Lannetta both seemed to believe he had lived through a past life. But how did the vampire know that they were once acquainted? "I don't get it. How do you know who I was in my past life?"

"I recognised your soul the moment I laid my eyes on you back at the prison."

"My soul?!"

"It's my Talent." Seeing his confused look, she elaborated, "My special ability. I can recognise a person's soul. Each soul is unique. It's a little difficult to explain, but imagine that your soul is a little ball of moving light glowing within you. It has its specific colour and swirl pattern, and even its own distinctive pulse, almost like a heartbeat. I'd recognise yours anywhere."

Brimming with confidence, Lannetta added, "You are, without a doubt, the one I have been waiting for, for the past seven hundred years."

Aidan couldn't stop his jaw from slackening. 'Seven hundred years?! Spicy ramen! How many lifetimes ago was that?' As he continued to gawp at her, something finally clicked. That aura of hers was built upon centuries' worth of wisdom, knowledge and power, encapsulated in an ageless body. And intertwined with longevity came the accumulated emotional weight, the burden of living several human lifetimes: sorrow, heartache, loss, weariness.

It was a nimbus no human would ever live long enough to achieve.

Forcing himself to focus, Aidan distractedly looked up at the wood panelling of the ceiling above while trying to absorb Lannetta's explanation even as his eyes randomly traced the grains within the timber. Finally, he turned his gaze back to Lannetta. "It's all a lot to take in."

Her small smile conveyed her empathy. "I understand."

Aidan thought of how intimately Lannetta had held his face and wondered aloud, "Who was I to you?"

The vampires looked from one to the other before Lannetta answered almost apologetically, "I don't think I should tell you. There's a risk of inducing false memories that would eventually interfere with your actual ones once you gain them back on your own."

He couldn't keep out the hint of scepticism that crept into his tone when he replied, "You seem confident that I'll regain them." After all, many of the dreams he'd had were on replay mode ever since he was a kid. If he was supposed to remember his past life, it should have already happened by now.

Lannetta, however, was full of confidence. "I think everything happens for due reason. Maxim and I getting caught and ending up at the facility were a necessity to meet you." Beside her, and looking a lot less angry, Maxim nodded in agreement as she continued, "The fact that you were reborn in itself tells me that all the missing pieces are falling into place. You might well be the peace bringer to this absurd, never-ending war."

Aidan winced, "You make it sound like I'm a participant in a game I don't even know I'm playing."

Maxim chuckled softly, "Think of your current predicament as a game of chess. You'll need short-term tactics of a calculative nature to get you through some rough spots and long-term planning in the form of a well-thought-out strategy to achieve your objective, which I'd wager in your case is to live till you're grey and old. Right now, you can start by figuring out which set piece you are and your position on the board."

Aidan ran his hands through his windswept honey-coloured locks. "I'm not sure I can pull that off, considering I don't know the rules of the game."

The admission surprised Maxim, "You've never played chess before?"

"Nope."

"I guess I'll have to teach you." 'Again,' he thought grudgingly.

Byron, who was languidly leaning against the front door, suddenly straightened up while subconsciously extending his nails and fangs, "Maxim, trouble."

Immediately, the vampires began donning gloves and scarves, covering whatever exposed skin they could, before pulling on the motorcycle helmets with full-faced black tinted visors.

"They found us already?" Flint said in disbelief as he moved to open a window shutter slightly, peeking out for a second before quickly closing it again. "Damnit, looks like they've got us surrounded."

Maxim stilled, "How many?"

"At least two dozen. Too many to fight off, especially with the sun bearing down on us." Flint sounded a little scared. Aidan watched them, feeling worried for their safety and at the same time annoyed at feeling anything for a bunch of strangers who'd basically kidnapped him! Finally, he decided to ask, "Who's out there?"

All four vampires answered in unison, "Wolves!"

"Let me talk to them," Aidan blurted out. The vampires turned to look at him, and although he could not see through their black visors, he had a feeling they were all rolling their eyes at him. The little human was trying to play peacekeeper. Well, didn't Lannetta say something about him being a peace bringer just seconds ago?

Aidan didn't back down, "I'll get them to let you go. I know one of them personally. He'll listen to me." Aidan desperately wanted to avoid a brawl over him, of all things.

"Hmm? Which one?" Byron asked curiously, and Aidan headed to the window to peek through the shutter. He saw Gavin at the forefront of the fast-approaching group, leading the others, looking like he was ready to rip someone in half. "The pissed off blond leading the group." The four vampires hurriedly crowded around him to have a look.

Byron let out a nervous laugh, "That beefy bloke's looking as mad as a cut snake," and at the same time, Flint squeaked, "Why does he look like a gym freak version of you?" Aidan ignored them both and addressed Lannetta instead. "Please, just let me try reasoning with them. They won't hurt me."

She pursed her lips, obviously vexed, but reluctantly agreed. "Aidan, promise me you'll keep what I told you a secret." He immediately agreed without thinking. She pulled him into an unexpected quick hug. "There's no time to explain, but I need you to find Emi, the only other person you can trust with your secret. Emi will be able to recognise your soul too."

Aidan wanted to ask more questions, foremost being why it seemed of utmost importance to them that he remembered his past self, but he could no longer delay, ultimately having no choice but to agree to do as she asked. He was too freaked out by the possible clash between supernaturals to wonder how Lannetta expected him to find someone he couldn't even remember in the first place.

As soon as she let him go, Aidan hurried over to the door and yanked it open, darting out before slamming it shut behind him. He was headed out into the front yard when Gavin saw him and immediately ran towards him. His brother grabbed Aidan by the shoulders while looking him over, making sure he wasn't injured. "Thank goodness, Aidan! What the hell did they do to you?!"

"I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about. They just wanted to talk." Aidan tried to lighten the situation but felt he wasn't doing a good job when a chorus of angry muttering rang throughout the group.

"Who's they?" Someone within the group demanded.

"Some vampires that were held in the facility," Aidan replied honestly.

A faceless voice in the crowd said, "Causing trouble after barely a sniff at freedom!" Angry yells concurred in unison.

"Please, can we just go? There's no reason for a fight anymore, is there?" Aidan tried again to avoid a fight.

"And leave a bunch of blood drinkers alive when we have them surrounded? No way!" Another wolf shouted from the back of the group, her objection met with fervent shouts of agreement.

Underestimating just how much collective anger was brewing to the point of overflowing, the poor human felt his stress levels shoot up exponentially. Aidan anxiously looked around the group and caught sight of another familiar face, the extremely tall and buff werewolf who'd helped him break down the steel door in the facility.

Their gazes locked, and Aidan took the opportunity to give him the most pitiful, pleading puppy eyes he could muster. In return, the wolf broke into a wide grin before rubbing a hand over his braided hair while calling out, "Hey Gavin!"

"Yeah, Tyler?"

"I think we've gotten what we came here for. I agree with the little guy on this one. Let's head back. It's been a while since some of us have been home."

Gavin was more than happy to get Aidan to safety. "Yeah, come on, let's go." Not everyone concurred, but nobody argued since the whole point of the rescue mission had been to save Aidan, and that had been accomplished very quickly.

'His name's Tyler. I'll need to thank him later,' Aidan mentally noted. As the group retreated, Aidan turned to covertly wave in the direction of the cottage before falling into step beside his brother.