The Christmas Wolf — W.D. Gagliani

THE CHRISTMAS WOLF
By W.D. Gagliani

It's December 23 in the North Woods, and an Alberta Clipper is dumping a foot of snow across a wide band. Carl and Lynn are driving north to spend Christmas at a romantic lodge, where Carl plans to pop the question and present a ring. But the blizzard proves too much, and they seek shelter in a closed-up cabin, a place which Carl thinks might still manage to be romantic…

But dark shapes in the woods have been shadowing their car, and when the lovers break into the cabin to wait out the storm, the howling begins. Soon the shapes outside the windows show themselves. Fearsome beasts, they seem to be toying with the couple. But worse, the pack is hungry, and the assault begins. Trapped inside the flimsy structure, Carl and Lynn must find a way to stay alive â€" or they won't see Christmas at all…

Short story: 7900 words

W.D. Gagliani is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated novel WOLF'S TRAP, as well as WOLF'S GAMBIT, WOLF'S BLUFF, WOLF'S EDGE, SAVAGE NIGHTS, the collection SHADOWPLAYS, the mini-collection MYSTERIES & MAYHEM (with David Benton), and a plethora of nonfiction in the form of book reviews, articles, and short stories. See his website at www.wdgagliani.com, follow him on Twitter at @WDGagliani, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wdgagliani.