A/N - It's been a freakin' long time!

I'm so, so sorry, but I hope this ending and the explanation will help. I've been focused on original fiction and I'm pleased to share that my first full-length novel, the first book in a brand-spanking new fantasy/paranormal romance series, has been released!

Here's the blurb and I'll provide an excerpt at the end of 'Dangerous Creatures.' If you're so inclined, you can find LORELEI'S LYRIC (Southern Elemental Guardians Book 1) on Amazon in both eBook and paperback formats. If you like 'Dangerous Creatures,' you should enjoy my mermaids, surly and deliciously angsty rock stars, winged men, and a giant talking catfish!

Blurb

If Lorelei sings, someone will die.

Her beautiful voice once cost a life. Still, music is her passion. What's a mermaid to do? Run off and live vicariously through mortal musicians!

Unfortunately, gorgeous rocker Vance Idol almost succumbs to her siren call after his show in Nashville. Not that Vance cares—not since his girlfriend's fatal overdose left him with a supersized death wish. Lorelei makes it her mission to undo the damage and help this talented and charismatic man on the eve of his band's big break.

But saving a mortal man is a dangerous proposition. Lorelei could far too easily lose her heart, and quite possibly her immortality, during her American holiday. Bad boy Vance might be worth the risk.

Can their love survive his attitude, her fins, and an Evil Pixie with a grudge against them both?

PM me for details and check out the excerpt below this chapter. And now, without further ado, here's the final installment of 'Dangerous Creatures, Anyone?'

Chapter 10 –

I paced outside of my brand-spanking new office building, giddy as a schoolgirl and nervous to boot! Hell, I shouldn't be. After reuniting with Bill in the emotional, spiritual, and most especially in the Biblical-hallelujah-praise-the-Lord sense, I had no reason to be nervous. I mean, we did make one helluva team.

I just hoped I wasn't overstepping my bounds. Just because he was my friend and lover didn't mean he'd want to work with me full time. Damn these stinking doubts! I didn't want them, but they kept creeping up on me all the same.

We didn't work out the first time, why should it work out now? Sookie Stackhouse couldn't get a man before the Supes came out, and look at her now – Supe to Supe and can't keep a one of them.

"Sweetheart, you're thinking so loud I do believe I can hear you."

I spun around at the sound of that slow, sexy drawl that sent shivers running down my spine every blessed time I heard it. He stood in the twilight, no doubt getting a little singed around the edges, and he took my breath away. I'd seen him in low light, no light, and under those God-awful fluorescents that made everyone except for Vamps look hideous, but this was the closest I'd ever seen him in daylight.

He stood in the shadow of the building and was mostly covered, but damn did those jeans ever hug his long legs and hips in all the right places. I could only imagine what they did to his ass. And when had a simple Indigo button down ever looked so good? The hat, something not quite a fedora and not quite cowboy but oddly fitting it's old-timey bearer's sideburns and charm adorned his head, while the sunglasses added just a touch of modern flare.

Old and new, familiar and yet still a wonder.

And mine.

He raised his gloved hands to pull off the sunglasses and I gasped, "Wait, Bill! You'll fry your eyeballs!"

He chuckled and then went ahead and pulled the damned things off anyway, a small wince and a blink the only outward signs of discomfort. "Let me look at you, Sookie. In the daylight."

Aw, now didn't that just melt a girl's heart?

I stepped out into the waning rays of sunlight and spun in a circle, glad I'd worn the sundress rather than my new business suit. The flare of the skirt showed off my tanned legs and sent that giddy schoolgirl feeling bubbling through me as I giggled and ran into Bill's open arms.

He held me tight enough to make my ribs creak, the warmth of his embrace chasing away my doubts and fears. Whatever problems were ahead of us, and Lord knows there'll be plenty, I vowed we'd face them together. No more running away, no more shutting down, no more missing out on the best thing I had going. No, we'd be true partners from here on out.

And speaking of partnerships…

"So, Bill, what do you think?" I asked, pulling back and nodding to the office building. There wasn't much could be done about the plain brick façade, but Alcide had replaced the windows, added some nice blue shutters, and had added an automatic door with a matching blue awning overhead. I'd found some nice office furniture and saved a fortune by getting them scratch-and-dent and having Alcide's contractors refinish the wooden desks. Bill could set up the computer systems and manage security.

He'd do that no matter what, I was sure.

I hoped he'd do more.

"Looks nice," Bill said with a shy smile. "You've done wonders with it, Sookie."

I waited. Patience was most definitely not one of my virtues, but I waited.

"So," Bill said after an eternity (okay, it probably only took a minute, but still!), "what exactly are you going to be doing here?"

My face split into a huge grin. He'd no doubt noticed the big-ass sign I'd had mounted on top of the building and perfectly centered over my cool-as-hell automatic doors. I'd also had it covered with a tarp and rigged so I could do the honors of unveiling it all by myself with just a tug of rope.

I stepped out of my Vampire's embrace and skipped over to the building (no easy feat in heels, let me tell you). With a little prayer, I pulled the rope and let the tarp fall to reveal the simple yet elegant sign for our new business.

If he'd go along.

"What do you think?" I asked, unable to keep my voice from shaking.

He stared up at the white sign with beautiful blue letters.

Stackhouse and Compton Investigations

And he stared.

And…stared.

And…stared.

Shit buckets! Had the damned man gone into Vampire downtime? Was he shocked? Was he trying to think of a way to let me down easy?

"Um, look, if it's too much, you know, the whole working together and dating thing, I get it," I stammered. Panic rippled through my gut and the burgeoning (word of the day) waves threatened to drown my joy.

Don't jump to conclusions, Sookie. Give him some time. Give him some time. Damn, you William Thomas Compton, I'm trying here, but you gotta—

Before I could blink I was whisked off my feet in a blur of hot Southern Vampire speed. I found myself sprawled out on my shiny new desk surface with my arms and legs wrapped around my Tasmanian devil of a lover. We had a great time for a couple of minutes until my need to breathe got in the way of his roving lips, fangs, and tongue.

When I caught my breath, which was no easy thing given what Bill set his mouth to next, I said, "I…oh, God, keep doing that…I t-take it that m-means y-yes…"

He didn't answer for the best possible reason, giving me the mother of all orgasms made sweeter by his warm embrace and whispered words of love through the aftershocks. Then, at last, he gave me a fangy smile and said, "I think this is the best damned idea you've ever had, and that's saying something."

"Is that so, Mr. Compton?"

"Why yes, Miss Stackhouse. Now are you ready for our first case?"

I was just about to answer when the whoosh of my automatic door unleashed another surge of Vampire speed. Before I knew it I was dressed, quasi-presentable (at least I assumed, since Bill was a gentleman and probably still a tad possessive), and standing face to face with the hairiest man I'd ever seen.

Well, he wasn't exactly a man. Not undead. I could hear his thoughts. The flavor of his thoughts suggested shifter, but he sure as hell didn't sound like any Werewolf or Werepanther I'd ever met. He flashed a toothy grin, one that let her know he had a shifter's sense of smell and knew what we'd just been up to.

Bill, to my great surprise, didn't go all alpha-Vamp protective/aggressive testosterone-fueled (assuming male Vamps had testosterone—I made a mental note to ask Bill—later) rampagey. He simply smiled and shook hands with the guy. "Good to see you, Everett. Been a while."

"Bill, great to see you buddy. Y'all open?"

"Why yes, we are," I said. "Sookie Stackhouse of Stackhouse and Compton Investigations. Who can we help you find, Mr…?"

"Everett. Larry Everett. So you are a Supe?"

"I am. And you so are you, though I can't quite work out what you are."

Bill chuckled. "Sookie, meet you're first Werebear."

What the everloving—

"That's right, Miss Stackhouse. Y'all think you can help me track down the rest of my pack?"

I squeezed my new partner's hand and shook my head. Dangerous creatures, anyone?

I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter! As promised, here's a little excerpt from Lorelei's Lyric.

Bruce materialized in a cloud of white smoke worthy of the most flamboyant of human magicians, his glowing skin reflected in the rippling surface of the lake as he hovered. In spite of his tousled hair, disheveled clothing, and scowl, he looked magnificent surrounded by an aura of raw power. He stretched and cracked his neck and shoulders, managing to look elegant while doing it. When he turned his attention to her, the smirk he sported almost made Lorelei zap him again.

"Show off," she grumbled.

He shrugged. "It's easier for Slyphs to materialize through air. It's our element. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in time. I could give you some private lessons."

"Cut it out, Bruce. I already told you I'm not in the mood for this."

"Well, well, well," he said after taking a deep breath, concentrating as it filled his nose and lungs. He licked his lips and closed his eyes as though savoring a rare vintage.

"You've had an interesting evening, I see, or rather taste. Not that it's improved your flavor or disposition. Why is that, goldfish? Did the human fail to live up to your expectations?"

Flabbergasted and beyond angry, she stammered, "Wait a minute—how did you—were you watching us, too?"

He rolled his golden eyes but kept that infuriating smirk in place. "No, I wasn't watching, dear. Actually, I was rather busy myself, entertaining a couple of delicious and insatiable Dryads, who incidentally give new meaning to the mortal phrase 'throwing wood.' Ergo, I didn't see a thing."

"Too much sharing, Bruce—"

"I did, however, get an earful. You're quite the screamer when in the throes of passion, aren't you?"

Refusing to take the bait, she shifted the conversation to more urgent matters. "If you heard us, then you must have heard me sing."

He'd opened his mouth, no doubt ready to throw out another salacious remark, but stopped short. Cocking his head to the side in what she assumed was his thinking pose, he said, "Come to think of it, yes, I did hear singing. That was you?"

"Yes."

"Oh dear," he said, stooping down and placing a hand on her shoulder. The sudden shift in his playful mood, along with the unexpected concern, took some of the bite out of her anger. "Is he still breathing?"

"Yes, thank the gods. But he shouldn't be. There was a lot more power behind my call this time, after we, um, well, you know..."

And the smirk was right back on his face again, along with a bit of wide-eyed wonder. He released her shoulder, then conjured a small cloud and bid it hover over the surface of the water. Sitting down on his makeshift cushion, he said, "In that case, I take back what I said about your mortal's performance. Does that always happen when you come? Gods, you Nixies must burn through lovers, or remain inordinately frustrated. Of course, when Slyphs come, we—"

"No, Bruce, that doesn't always happen when we mate with mortals. But there is something about this mortal that makes me want to sing all the time, and I thought I might have killed him, or damaged him beyond repair..."

To his credit, Bruce gave her a blessed few moments of silence to regain her composure, turning his attention to the night sky while she wiped the tears from her eyes. Without looking at her, he spoke. "So tell me, goldfish— now that you've managed to...acquire your heart's desire, and keep him alive in the process, why so glum? Shouldn't you be seeking him out again so you two can make beautiful music together?"

She laughed. Gods damn the arrogant Sky Guardian, but she couldn't help it. He did have a way of putting things into perspective. And, loath as she was to admit it, the guy made her feel better, too. At least, he did when he wasn't being such a cad. "You know, Bruce, I think I'm starting to get you."

"That's what the Dryads said, just before they got me a second time."

"Oh, you are insufferable!"

"But you like me. You know you do."

"Anyway, to answer your question, the reason I'm here in the water instead of with Vincent is to test my power. I was afraid that if I'd lost my call, I might have lost my other elemental gifts."

Bruce snorted. "Oh, that old legend. Believe me, dear, if falling in love with a mortal really robbed us of our powers, I wouldn't be standing here right now—"

He stopped short and averted his gaze. She was taken aback by his clenched jaw and tense shoulders, but she recognized the pain behind them.

She reached her hand toward his shoulder, but he leapt from his cloud and moved away before she could reach him. Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, um, all of your powers seem to be in good working order, it appears."

"I still have two I need to test."

Before he could even blink, she unleashed three soft notes. They had the desired effect. Bruce froze and she summoned her nixie power to hold him suspended above the water. Placing her hands on his massive shoulders, she willed her healing powers to infuse him with comfort, hoping the power was still in her possession.

His jaw unclenched and the crease between his furrowed brows smoothed as he relaxed. The tension in his muscles eased just before she released him. When the fog lifted from his gaze, his eyes widened and he stumbled backward with a mighty splash.

Oops, apparently she'd forgotten to will the cloud cushion back underneath him.

He emerged from the water looking equal parts put out and amused. "Well played, goldfish. Well played. Your call still works, as does your..."

He trailed off, cheeks turning pink as he busied himself by shaking the excess water from his wings. Though sorely tempted, she didn't tease him, nor did she press for details about what she assumed was his own personal tragedy with a mortal lover. That she'd eased him with her healing energy was enough, and since he'd been instrumental in proving that her elemental powers and call remained intact, she figured they were square.

"I should probably head back now, before Vincent gets worried," she said. "Thank you for keeping me company."

"You're welcome, goldfish. I wish you luck with the mortal, though I suggest keeping your bedroom window closed tonight, since not all of us are immune to your call."

"I don't know for certain that he's fully immune."

"He survived tonight." "It may not be permanent." "Stop being so negative. Perhaps it was the magic of true love's first kiss."

"We'd already kissed."

"True love's first shag?"

"Goodnight, Bruce," she said, turning away and gearing her fins up for a brisk swim back to shore. If she stayed any longer, she might give in to temptation and dunk him again.

"Positivity and life," he yelled as she dove. "Try it, Nixie, you might actually like it."