Welcome Birthday Guest Toni Griffin!

Thank you to Amber for once again having me on your blog. Wishing you a very happy birthday. I love this month-long celebration and look forward to it every year.

 

Today I’m here celebrating the re-release of Archie’s Accidental Kidnapping. It’s due to hit shelves in just a couple of days on November 8. I’ve been busy over the last several months expanding the story. I really wanted to delve deeper to the world I created a couple of years ago as I get set to continue the series. People who are familiar with the first edition may also note that I’ve changed the name of the series, as I wanted to differentiate it from other hell hound series out there.

The plot has changed, the world is different, more than 41,000 words were added, BUT the one thing that hasn’t changed is Archie and Adze.

 

I hope you enjoy the new Archie’s Accidental Kidnapping.

 

Birthday short:

Archie woke that morning, his day bright and filled with promise. The birds chirped outside his bedroom window as he stretched, yawned, and then tried to turn off his alarm without looking at what he was doing. The incessant noise eventually stopped, thank god!

What he wouldn’t give to be able to roll over and go back to sleep. Unfortunately, work beckoned to him. Reluctantly, Archie flipped the covers back and crawled out of his nice, cozy nest.

The warm shower helped to wake him up. Before long, Archie was dressed and braving the morning commuters on his way to the office. Amal, his roommate, hadn’t even been awake when he left the apartment.

Archie wasn’t even sure if he’d hear from his folks today. He doubted it. His parents had left two days ago for their first real holiday in ten years. They were aboard a cruise ship and heading to New Zealand, currently somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Archie didn’t begrudge his mum and dad their holiday. God knows they deserved it.

They’d all gone out to dinner last Monday, on Archie’s night off from his second job. He’d received his Happy Birthday’s from them then.

 

Archie wished he could find someone he could share these special occasions with. Archie wasn’t a materialistic person, but it had been a long time since he’d felt the excitement of receiving a gift from a loved one, who wasn’t his parents. It wasn’t even the idea of him receiving a gift that he liked, more that someone actually wanted to give him something they thought he might like.

As much as Archie usually loved his birthday, so far, this one was doing a damn fine job of pointing out to him just how little of a life Archie had, and subsequently how few friends.

Birthday’s weren’t usually something that was shared around the office, meaning Archie made it through the entire day without anyone wishing him a happy birthday.

He raced home at the end of the work day, only to find the apartment empty as he hurriedly changed and got ready for his second job.

The night wasn’t too much better. The restaurant had been packed and Archie was run ragged all night long. By the end of his shift his feet were killing him, but he’d been so busy he hadn’t had a chance to think about how sucky this birthday had been.

The temperature had dropped significantly while he’d been working. Archie pulled his jacket tight around him and wrapped his thick, aussie wool scarf around his neck as he walked the few blocks back to his apartment.

He had an hour left of his birthday. Archie’s stomach growled as he’d barely eaten anything at all tonight. The last thing Archie felt like doing was cooking though. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the covers up over his head, maybe pretend today hadn’t happened.

His building came into site and Archie couldn’t have been happier. His feet really were sore. Archie scanned to get through the security door, then not wanting to walk up the few flights of stairs he waited for the lift.

Archie unlocked his apartment door and opened it quietly. At this time of night Amal was usually asleep, and the last thing Archie wanted to do was wake his roommate.

The apartment wasn’t dark though, like it usually was. A lamp illuminated the living room in a soft glow, and on the table, three candles sat flickering in their glass jars. The aroma of warm pizza hit him like a Mack truck and Archie had to stop himself from drooling.

He looked around to see if he could find his roommate and find out what was going on. Amal stepping out of the kitchen, in his hands he held a single cupcake, its top frosted with the most delicious looking mound of icing Archie had ever seen. A lone candle flickered as Amal slowly made his way towards where Archie still stood.

“Happy Birthday, man.”

Archie had to swallow the sudden lump in his throat, and hastily wiped at the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes.

“What’s all this?” Archie croaked out.

“I know your folks are away at the moment. I guess I just wanted you to know that someone cares. Sorry I slept in this morning. I had meant to be awake before you left for work.”

Archie was seconds away from crying. He didn’t know what to say.

Amal cleared his throat, obviously realising Archie was a little overwhelmed. “Come on, man, hurry up and make a wish, so we can eat pizza, you don’t want it to go cold, do you?”

Archie laughed, like he was supposed to. “Heaven forbid!” he said in mock outrage.

Archie closed his eyes and leaned in slightly. He wished that he would find someone soon that he could share his life with, and that Amal too would find happiness. Archie blew out the candle.

He had no idea if his wish would come true or not. He doubted it, but he figured there was no harm in trying.

“Awesome. Now, lets eat.”

“Oh hell, yes!”

Archie thought he might come in his pants from the first bite of his pizza.

“Would you two like a room?” Amal asked him, a wicked smirk on his face.

“Piss off,” Archie said as he took another bite.

Amal laughed and he too continued eating.

The clock had ticked over past midnight by the time Archie crawled into bed. His belly was sated and his heart full. Although the day had started pretty crappy, Archie loved the end and couldn’t wait to see what his next birthday had in store for him.

Archie closed his eyes and rolled over, picturing his fantasy man curled up beside him. If he couldn’t have him in real life, then Archie would settle for him in his dreams.

One day it would happen.

 

Pre order links:

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Excerpt:

 

Adze often wondered exactly what it was that caused some nephilim to go bad. He’d met some really great ones in his time, hell, he’d even gotten drunk a time or two with some. Then again, Adze and his team had also encountered the worst of the worst. With all the revelers out partying right now, it would make their job of scenting their prey a lot harder, not impossible, just harder. Adze was always up for a challenge, though.

All clear here, boss. Nicor said for the fifth time that night bringing Adze out of his thoughts and back to the hunt at hand.

When nothing came from Pyro for a minute Adze reached out to him and Cacus.

Pyro, Cacus you all clear?

Sorry, boss, we might have something here, Pyro told him.

Adze stood up immediately, his ears flattening to his head.

Where are you?

Swanston Street, Melbourne Central, they’ve just left TGIFridays, Cacus said.

Shit, what the hell is he doing there?

No idea, we could smell him, this is where the scent led us, Cacus informed them.

Good job, follow him and keep us posted. Do not engage unless it looks like he’s going to harm someone. We’ll be there as quickly as we can. Oriax, Nicor, you on your way?

Yep, be there soon.

He and Daevas left their hiding place and took off for Swanston Street. It would take them a good ten minutes or so to get to the others. He just hoped no one was hurt before they could get there.

Boss, looks like we’re going to have to engage. He’s dragging her into an alley.

Shit! Adze swore.

Oriax, Nicor, how far out are you?

Pyro gave their location again, and Oriax replied.

Just ’round the corner. Should be with you in thirty seconds.

Good. Engage at will.

You got it, boss, Cacus replied.

Adze ran, Daevas hot on his heels, neither of them worried about being spotted anymore. Hopefully, people would think they were a couple of dogs. Besides, they were tracking to the alley so fast Adze and Daevas would be gone before anyone could get a really good look at them.

They passed a building construction site before rounding the corner to the alley, Adze heard a battle already going on ahead.

Thankfully, the few people on the street were either too intoxicated or too absorbed in their own lives to notice anything happening down a dark alley.

Adze and Daevas moved to join their teammates.

A woman was passed out next to a dumpster, her short skirt was hiked up, so her panties were showing, her top looked like it had been torn and her lipstick long since worn off. Her shoes and handbag lay haphazardly beside her. Adze took a moment to check that she was still breathing and wasn’t bleeding anywhere before he turned his back on her and concentrated on the fight in front of him.

Andrew Collins was putting up one hell of a fight. He’d managed to pick up a thick chunk of wood and was swinging it at anyone who got even remotely close to him. His strength as a nephilim made this an extremely dangerous situation for all of them.

Oriax lay on the ground to the right, blood seeping from a wound to the head, his chest still rose and fell thankfully.

Adze’s hackles rose at the injury to his friend. He growled and showed his teeth as he stalked closer to the nephilim.

“You don’t scare me,” Collins yelled as he swung the plank again. His eyes darted from left to right, the pure crazy in them making them gleam in the low light of the alley.

On the count of three, I want this man taken down, Adze told his men.

One

Collins took a step forward and swung at Adze. He easily dodged the blow. This fucker was going down.

Two

The five of them readied to attack, hackles raised, fur bristling, sharp teeth gleaming in the little light from overhead.

Three

They attacked as one.

But Collins didn’t go down quietly.

Pyro took the plank to the side, the wood splintering on impact. The loud pained noise escaping his teammate spurred Adze on. He leaped, his large paws connecting with Collins, forcing him to lose his footing under Adze’s large weight.

They tumbled to the ground. Adze’s teeth sinking into Collins’s flesh as his claws shredded skin beneath his paws. The others lunged forward, their teeth and claws shredding Collins just as Adze’s did.

He screamed as they ripped into his flesh. The nephilim tried stabbing Nicor with the sharp wooden stakes of the broken plank, but Nicor dodged the attack and managed to get the guy’s hand in his powerful jaws, biting down until Collins let go of what remained of his weapon.

Blood flowed, and Collins’s cries grew less and less until they stopped altogether. Adze took the satisfaction in setting Collins’s body on fire, releasing his soul into Hell.

The green flames flickered brightly in the alley, lighting the area surrounding them.

Adze and Daevas shifted then went to check on Oriax.

A scream from behind them had everyone turning around.

Standing on wobbly legs, holding onto the dumpster with one hand was the woman that Collins’s had drugged and planned to kill.

Her bright blonde hair hung in bedraggled strands around her face, her eyes were wide and glassy, her pupils huge. A sure sign she’d either drunk way too much or had been drugged as they suspected.

Adze put his hands up immediately, trying to let her know that they meant her no harm. Her eyes went even wider if that was even possible as she stared at Adze, her gaze roaming up and down his body.

It was times like these that Adze cursed the fact that their clothes shredded when they shifted back and forth.

“Everything’s going to be okay. We’re not here to hurt you,” Adze said, trying to get her attention off his junk.

Her gaze slowly lifted to meet his, her hand pointing at the quickly diminishing green flames behind them.

“Wha….Wha…what is that?” she asked unsteadily.

“What’s what?” Adze asked. He sighed in relief as he glanced back to see the green flames had died.

“What happened…Who…are…you?”

“That doesn’t matter. Have you got someone you can call to come and collect you?”

“Ummm.” The girl wobbled for a second then seemed to go down in a heap. Her eyes closed. She’d either passed out or fainted. Either way, it was best for them.