C. E. Murphy

Remember the werewolves of classic stories and films, those bloodthirsty monsters that transformed under the full moon, reminding us of the terrible nature that lives within all of us? Today's werewolves are much more suave — and even sexy — and they've moved from British moors to New York City lofts, shaved, and got jobs. But as the tales of these writers will show you, they remain no less wild and passionate, and they still tug at the part of our being where a wild animal used to be. Running With the Pack includes stories from Carrie Vaughn, Laura Anne Gilman, and C.E. Murphy, and they will convince you that despite their gentrification, werewolves remain as fascinating and terrifying as ever.

Freshly-minted shaman Joanne Walker was enjoying a moment of quiet in her usually-chaotic life-right up until vengeful ghosts possessed her partner-in-solving-mystical-crime, Detective Billy Holliday. With Billy's life and soul on the line, Joanne is called to put herself between her friends, and the legendary Black Cauldron's powers to waken the dead......which might be somewhat easier if she wasn't terrified of the undead.Holding herself together in the face of spectral horrors is one thing. Holding a new relationship together is another-and even Joanne's barely-acknowledged thing with her boss, Captain Morrison, may not be able to withstand the overwhelming power of the Wild Hunt, unleashed once again on Halloween, as the walls between worlds grow thin. Faced with the tantalizing Horned God, leader of the Hunt, and a personal life that's falling apart, Joanne realizes saving Billy may mean sacrificing a world-or finding a way to heal wounds so old that not even the gods recognize them as injuries anymore.And just to add insult to injury, the insurance company is trying to avoid paying for damages to Joanne's beloved Mustang, Petite. Between the mundane problems and the supernatural threats, it's starting to feel like no one's getting out of this alive....Publisher's Note: Cauldron Borne was originally published as Walking Dead, but the author always hated that title and has reverted it to her preferred title with the re-release of the series. The newly retitled edition contains the exact same story as the original book did.

The safe, predictable life Rasim al Ilialio once knew is in shambles. It isn't exactly his fault-he didn't mastermind the fires that have struck his beloved home city of Ilyara, or the poisoning of Northland lakes, or the kidnapping of a nomadic prince-but his quick thinking did see the patterns that linked all of those terrible events together. Small conspiracies to hold power all over the continent are leading to a terrible uprising against his home city......and the worst of it is coming from within Ilyara itself.Now, betrayed by those he trusted, Rasim has one last insurmountable task: stop a regime change that will shake Ilyara to its core, and root out the source of a rot that goes back to before he was even born. But there are risks that Rasim never dreamed of, and reasons for Ilyara to follow the strict rules of magic that has shaped it for generations. With only his fellow journeymen Kisia and Desimi to help him, Rasim will finally learn the true danger of becoming......a Witchmaster.

Rasim al Ilalio doesn't mean to cause trouble wherever he goes, but a year of disasters lies in his wake. A war is brewing, but returning to his beloved city of Ilyara isn't an option--not until he's brought a friend home again, and has warned their people of the conspiracy he believes affects them all.But in the distant Shenryalan steppelands, a new threat emerges: not just human scheming, but magical beasts that have slumbered for centuries are now raising their heads again...and they seem to be drawn to Rasim himself.Every magic Rasim has learned has been a matter of personal survival. This time, though, there may be consequences that reach far beyond himself if he cannot become......a Sunmaster.

Some things do go bump in the night.Bounty hunting used to be the Cassidy brothers' bread and butter, but Chris encouraged his bright, sensitive little brother to abandon the family business for college. Unfortunately, sometimes what you want isn't what you want: with Nick's absence, Chris feels stuck hunting monsters-human and otherwise-and has to cope with their authoritarian father on his own.Since Nick left, distance, resentment and guilt has grown between the brothers, and now neither even remembers the last time they spoke. But their father's unexpected death brings Nick home, forcing them to reckon with uncomfortable history they've spent years trying to avoid. When Nick reluctantly agrees to help Chris investigate the circumstances surrounding their old man's murder, Chris hopes things could go back to how they were-until their quarry unlocks a freakish magical power within Nick.Now their bond risks igniting a celestial war that has waited aeons for this moment in time-and unless Chris and Nick can set aside their differences, it will destroy everything they've worked for....

United States of America, 2051 A.D.It has been twenty years since Eustace Fargo’s justice bill was passed. There are new weapons on the streets and vast city blocks rising to the sky, as the first human being sets out to visit another star system. New York, California and Texas cry out for autonomy, chafing against a federal government they feel has lost control.Reeling from news of Chief Justice Fargo’s death in service, the nation asks: has it all been worth it?