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  Cover Artist: Lou Harper © 2017

  Editor: Jaymi E

  First Edition

  Archie's Accidental Kidnapping: Hounds of the Hunt 1 © 2017 Toni Griffin

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published in the United States of America.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: Archie's Accidental Kidnapping: Hounds of the Hunt 1 is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are fictionalized. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The story contains explicit sexual content and is intended for adult readers.

  Any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material is a model and is being used solely for illustrative purposes.

  PUBLISHER

  Mischief Corner Books, LLC

  Dedication

  To my darling girl. I loved exploring Melbourne with you and can't wait for our next adventure.

  To Freddy, without whom this book wouldn't be what it is.

  And lastly to Melanie. I always keep my promises.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Alice in Wonderland: Walt Disney Productions

  Amazon Prime: Amazon.com, Inc.

  Bundaberg Ginger Beer: Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Pty Ltd

  IPhone 7 Plus: Apple Inc.

  Netflix: Netflix, Inc.

  Pringles: Kellogg Company

  Stan: StreamCo

  Wonder Woman: Time Warner, Inc.

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  About Toni Griffin

  Also by Toni Griffin

  About Mischief Corner Books

  Chapter One

  The streets of Melbourne were quiet, but Adze knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. The sun would peek over the horizon shortly. Then they'd be out of time and have to call it a night yet again without capturing their quarry.

  Pyro stalked through the shadows next to him, both of them in their hound forms, larger than any natural dogs and as black as night. The others were all coming in from a different direction, hoping they were finally going to be able to take down the nephilim who'd been lighting the city up for the last week. The little fucker had so far managed to evade them at every turn.

  Adze was getting pretty pissed with the situation, as were the others if their constant bitching was anything to go by.

  The breeze blew warm air through his fur, bringing with it the slight scorched scent he'd come to recognize as a nephilim gone bad.

  Adze stopped dead in his tracks, Pyro stilled instantly beside him.

  Do you smell that? Adze asked. One thing Adze was most grateful for, and what had saved them more times than he cared to count, was their ability to communicate with each other in shifted form. This meant they were in constant contact, and if one of them spotted any kind of trouble, they could let the group know about it. It also helped them be long gone by the time authorities arrived on the scene.

  Sure do! Pyro confirmed.

  You find her? Cacus asked.

  We think so. We're on Franklin Street heading to the Queen Victoria Markets. Meet us there. Adze communicated with his team.

  On it. They all said, Adze and Pyro picked up their pace.

  Adze really wanted to get this job finished. They had been hunting for four nights straight since the call had come in about their supernatural arsonist. His team was tired, hell, he was tired, but the biggest issue was they needed to stop the nephilim before it did any more damage. Luckily no one had died, yet. There were currently four humans in the hospital though, and two of them were in intensive care.

  Adze and Pyro moved stealthily through the now-empty car park out the front of the markets. Thankfully it was Monday morning, which meant the markets were closed. That might give them the little bit of extra time they needed. Otherwise, stallholders could be expected to start showing up shortly as the fresh produce section opened at six a.m.

  They rounded the permanent structure, into the open area where all the stallholders set up. The burning acrid scent grew stronger with every step they took.

  Everyone be on the lookout. I think we've finally found our girl!

  His team relayed their acknowledgment. A feeling of satisfaction rolled through Adze, they had been together for so long now that Adze trusted them implicitly. They all knew what they had to do.

  Where are you guys at? He asked, wanting to gauge their distance.

  Coming down Victoria Street now, just passing Elizabeth, Cacus responded for him and Daevas.

  We're just coming up to Peel and Victoria Street intersection. Should be with you in a matter of minutes, Oriax replied for him and Nicor.

  Great, get here as quickly as you can. We've got a nephilim to hunt, Adze said as he scented the air once more, slightly changing the direction he and Pyro were heading in.

  They had slowed their pace down now, not wanting to get caught in a trap. Every step they took was slow and measured, their eyesight sharp, regardless of the dark and shadows surrounding them.

  The scent, which had once been so irritating it would send them all into a sneezing frenzy, was now little more than an annoyance. They wouldn't have been able to do this job for as long or as successfully as they had if they had been giving their positions away by sneezing all the damn time.

  Shapes moved in the distance, and it didn't take long for Adze to recognize his pack mates and fellow hounds. First Oriax and Nicor, and not long after Cacus and Daevas.

  Right, the scent seems to be coming from that direction. Adze indicated toward the permanent building that housed the butchers, bakers, cheese shops and so on. They split back off into their three groups so they could come at the building from different directions. Whoever spotted her first would notify the others, then the rest would rush in. It was always easier to corner prey when all exits were covered.

  The breeze picked up again, bringing with it warm air. This time of year, even the nights were warmer than usual. The few cars on the road at this early hour were a distant rumble as they slowed for the nearby intersections. The pack stuck to the shadows as much as they could, so they didn't draw any unwanted attention from the few early birds out at this time. Their large black bodies blending in with the dark.

  The rancid scent grew stronger and stronger the closer they moved toward the building, the familiar tugging in his mind, when they were close to a nephilim, let Adze know they were closing in on their target.

  We have eyes on the subject, Oriax announced. East corner.

  Move in, Adze said as he and Pyro raced to the location.

  They rounded the corner to find a roller door had
been jimmied open and was rolled up about forty centimetres. Adze and Pyro crouched low onto their bellies and crawled under the door. Cacus and Daevas right behind them.

  Adze glanced at the walls behind him and cursed when he spotted the little flashing red light.

  Looks like our quarry wasn't too careful when she broke in here. I say we've got about ten minutes, max, before we have company.

  Why do they never make things nice and simple? Cacus asked.

  Because then you'd be bored, Pyro replied.

  True dat!

  All right, all right, let's get this done. Adze cut off any other responses.

  They stalked through the dark corridors, the snarling of their brethren loud in the empty passages.

  Adze and the others moved into position beside Oriax and Nicor.

  He would like to say he was surprised at the nephilim in front of him, but really, he wasn't. The young woman must have only been nineteen, twenty at most, her skin was flush with life, her blonde hair pulled back in a long graceful ponytail.

  Delia Watkins looked like any other young girl who should be out with friends drinking and having a good time. She should not be standing in front of them with a gasoline can and a lighter. At least Adze was thankful the girl had proper shoes on. The Nike sneakers much more suitable for a life of crime and running, unlike the stiletto heels just about every woman in Hollywood had to wear.

  Adze sighed. It really was a shame the nephilim turned bad. If Watkins scent hadn't given her away, then the pure and utter crazy that shone brightly in her eyes sure did the trick.

  She screamed at them, pulled the cap off the gasoline container, then practically upended the damn thing on Adze. He yelped and danced away, but not before he was liberally coated with the foul liquid. That shit burned. But they couldn't stop now.

  "Red eyes. Red eyes." Watkins chanted as she flicked open the lid to her lighter.

  Knowing he was more hindrance than help right now Adze stepped back, having faith that his team could do what was needed. His condition was secondary to their objective. His pack mates didn't disappoint attacking her in practiced unison.

  As much as Adze wanted to be set alight to burn off the gas, they didn't have the time, not with the authorities already alerted that someone was here. As Adze choked on the toxic gas, his concentration wavered, and despite his rapid blinking, Adze had trouble seeing to monitor the progress of the fight. The liquid stung his eyes and blurred his vision.

  One of his hounds shifted to his human form and grabbed the nephilim. Adze couldn't tell who the blurry shape was or scent him. Concern for his pack mate had Adze snarling, but his worry was not needed. The woman's shrill screams cut off with a loud crack. The satisfying crunch of her neck being broken by his pack mate.

  Victorious growls filled the room.

  Adze shook his head, trying to clear it, but that just made things worse. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed him and Adze's front legs collapsed under him. He went down, hitting the deck hard. His chest hurt with each breath he struggled to take.

  Green flickered in his vision as hellfire was used to burn the soul free from the nephilim's body, sending it to Hell for all eternity. If wielded incorrectly hellfire could easily burn the entire building they were standing in to the ground in a matter of minutes, it burned so hotly. As hellhounds, they were able to focus their ability to pinpoint a single subject and contain the hellfire within it, meaning no collateral damage.

  Delia Watkins body would be left here for the police to find, along with the gas and lighter, where they remained on the ground.

  They always tried not to touch anything they didn't need to, even though hellhound DNA was unrecognisable to the instruments humans used. One of the few advantages in being from Hell. This meant the only thing they really worried about in this day and age was being caught on camera or being caught at the actual scene.

  The sun was just about to crest the horizon. They needed to get away from here and back to their penthouse.

  Adze needed outside, now. The stench of the fuel had scorched his nostrils, and his skin felt like it had been burned, and not in a good way. He also wanted a bloody shower in the worst possible way.

  "Adze?" A hand to his shoulder gently shook him. Nicor asked, "You okay, man?"

  Adze blinked his stinging eyes. A whine escaped him.

  "Shit," Nicor whispered. "Come on, we have to get you out of here."

  Strong arms surrounded Adze as Nicor carefully picked him up and held him close. Each step back to the jimmied roller door felt long and arduous. Time contorted in Adze's mind. They were taking too long to leave. Hopefully when they got outside the gas wouldn't be quite so overwhelming.

  At the opening, Nicor placed him on the ground, encouraging Adze to crawl through before shifting back to his own hound form. Several snouts pushed into Adze's side, a couple whines piercing the quiet. Their noises of apprehension pushed him to focus and grit down. Adze slowly scrambled his way under the door, closely followed by his pack.

  Once outside, Adze carefully, unsteadily got to his paws. He sneezed, trying to clear his sinuses to no avail. The morning air wafted against his fur, but gasoline coated Adze completely. His lungs burned.

  Let's go, he said and tentatively took a step. His vision was still blurry, but his legs held. You'll have to guide me to the nearest alley so you can burn this shit off me. My eyes are pretty shot.

  Don't worry Adze, we'll get you there, Oriax reassured him.

  They set off slowly, picking up the pace when it was clear Adze wasn't about to collapse. It didn't take them long to be far enough from the scene and away from any prying eyes.

  The alley was dark and dank, the large skip bins stank of rotting food from one of the takeaway shops. They made their way down the alley until the lights from the street no longer reached them, well out of view from any weirdos up this early.

  Get this shit off me! Adze told his pack.

  They didn't disappoint. One second Adze was standing there covered in gasoline, and then next second he was being set aflame. Pressure surrounded him then an intense light flashed as the fumes ignited.

  The flames licked across Adze's skin and fur, bathing him in heat and purification. It had been too long since Adze had been set alight. He'd forgotten just how much he enjoyed it. The stench of gasoline soon dissipated as the fire consumed the fuel covering his body. His nostrils cleared up, and his skin felt alive. The flames slowly died out, leaving Adze standing in the alley feeling better than he had in weeks.

  Well, you look like the cat that ate the fucking canary, Pyro said to him.

  Adze laughed, the sound that came out of him was more a chuff in this form though. I feel bloody brilliant. Now let's get home before any more of Melbourne wakes up.

  Adze shot off down the alley, the others following along behind him as they raced through the streets of Melbourne, back to their penthouse apartment.

  Chapter Two

  "What's the deal with the bloody weather today? It's hot as Hell," Cacus bitched then moaned as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

  Adze shook his head and scoffed. "No, it's not, Cacus. You've been to Hell, remember?"

  "Don't remind me, Adze. I don't plan on going back. Ever!"

  "None of us do, mate," Pyro muttered.

  It was one of those rare days in February when Melbourne's temperature skyrocketed to over forty degrees Celsius. Adze couldn't wait for the sun to sink below the horizon and the place to cool the fuck down again. One never really knew what the weather was going to give a person from one day to the next. People talked about Melbourne as the city that had four seasons in one day, and they were right.

  The weather was all kinds of fucked up.

  "How about we head down to the pool to cool off for a bit?" Nicor suggested.

  "Now that's the best thing I've heard all bloody day," Daevas agreed, quickly followed by agreement from the others.

  Adze couldn't believe how much the big strong hellh
ounds around him sounded like whiny little babies. As he'd reminded Cacus, they had been to Hell. All six of them had been born and trained down there and had dealt with much harsher temperatures than this in the past. He wondered silently if they were becoming too acclimated to Earth, and if that was a good or bad sign.

  They all changed into swim shorts and grabbed towels before filing out of the apartment one by one. The ride down was mercifully quick and without any additional stops. They scanned their card to get access to the pool. The water glistening in the overhead light, looking far more inviting than Adze was willing to concede.

  The others didn't have any issue admitting it. They all dumped their towels on an unoccupied table then clamoured cheerfully toward the pool. As one they jumped into the inviting water, soaking the surrounding tiles and nearby furniture. Adze had to admit the splash was pretty spectacular. One by one his hounds popped their heads above the water, laughing and splashing each other.

  Adze, not wanting them to get too full of themselves, took a running leap, pulled his knees close to his chest and bombed into the pool right in the middle of all of them. The water swarmed him as he sank, his body cooling instantly. Adze untucked his body and swam under all the kicking legs, knowing that if he came up in the middle of the guys, he'd be in for it.

  Instead, he held his breath and swum to the other side of the pool.

  "Chicken," Oriax called out as Adze broke the water.

  Adze laughed. "Don't you mean smart?"

  "Nope, I'm pretty sure chicken is exactly what I meant."

  "We'll have to agree to disagree." Adze grinned.

  Before Oriax could reply again, Nicor jumped on his back and dragged him down, much to the enjoyment of the others.

  Adze usually joined in with the others, but he just felt like relaxing today. So he sat back and watched, a grin on his face as dunking one another soon turned to Daevas and Oriax climbing on Nicor's and Cacus's shoulders and having a wrestling match with Pyro as the ref.