With Teeth

by Cassandra Celia (Contributor)

Hungry shadows stalk the tree line. They slip from fable to nightmare… only to bare their teeth where you least expect them.

Wolves have always lived in our stories—at the edge of firelight, in cautionary tales, and in the blood-soaked myths we never stopped telling. With Teeth drags them into the heart of fiction. Sometimes they are predator. Sometimes prey. And sometimes, the monster lurking within ourselves. Each story gnaws at themes of grief, survival, and transformation, blurring the fragile line between human and beast.

Beyond the page, the wolves are real. And their future depends on us. Proceeds from this anthology support the Lakota Wolf Preserve, ensuring real wolves continue to thrive even as their legends haunt our imaginations.

These stories have teeth.

Genres: Horror

534 pages, Hardcover

Published February 10, 2026

About the author

Cassandra Celia (they/them) is a Maryland bookseller turned author who writes dark, weird, and horrific lit fiction. Their work includes The Elric Undoing and their newest release, House of Harrow. They’re obsessed with stories that blur the lines between love and death, beauty and rot, and endings that don’t feel like endings at all. Cassandra finds inspiration in haunting art, unsettling media, and has a particular fondness for angry, scorned women clawing their way through the dark.

Stay up to date by visiting their website, www.cassandracelia.carrd.co.

Reviews

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't subject everyone to my platitudes on this anthology, I promise LOL. It does include my debut into the fiction world but it really is chock full of talent. With Teeth is a charity anthology that benefits the Lakota Wolf Preserve so if you can, pick up a copy. If not, it is available currently on Kindle Unlimited (if you have that). You can also request your local library order a copy because that also helps tremendously. Thank you to all my fellow contributors for being so cool and to Cass, our champion and curator, we love you! Join the pack friends, we'd love to have you.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is big. Chonky. It contains 30+ individual pieces of art, pieces of each of the creators' hearts that they willingly shared with us.

And I loved every single one.

I hope people read these wolf(ish) stories and poems and illustrations and revel in their beauty like I did. This was a joy to read every morning with my tea.

[JFederleWrites · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilled that I got to be an ARC reader for this werewolf anthology!

I’ve been on about it since I did a wolf-themed list for my newsletter last November, and it didn’t disappoint. I really like all kinds of horror, bloody and goopy as much as haunting and strange. This collection leaned toward the "bloody and goopy" side of things overall, but it still has a wide range with a few outliers. Come for the werewolves, stay for the great pacing and fresh twists.

A few highlights for me:
* TWO banger covers (paperback by @blainedaigleauthor, hardcover by @wowcooljoeywrites)
* Stories that consistently hooked (lots of gripping, sticky opening sentences)
* Art! Art by humans!
* Great attention to detail (handwritten font for “notes” and letters, breaks marked with mini-wolves, nice formatting)
* Benefits the Lakota Wolf Preserve!

All the writing was strong, but a few stories were so damn good I forgot I was reading entirely:

* “Don’t Go into the Woods Tonight” by Cassandra Celia (love grief horror)
* “The Recently Lycanthropized Homosexual’s Guide to Heartbreak” by Bear Lee (brilliant character work)
* “Cave” by Whitney McShan (so tightly paced! fun voice too)
* “What Bends, What Burns” by Red Parrish (such a fresh twist and exceptionally well written, some really lovely prose)
* “Closer to the Moon” by Leon Lavender (would totally read a book of this, what great pacing and a killer premise!)
* “Night-Sun” by Tom Spencer (very cool, gives us the perspective of a werewolf’s wolf-side)
* “Old Raridan" by Wesley R. Bishop (smart, tight writing with a satisfying ending, feels almost like a folktale’s origin story itself)
* “The Baby on the Moon” by Clay McCleod Chapman (from the tender, haunting perspective of the unwitting mother of a baby-werewolf)

Two pieces of art also really caught my eye and stuck with me too:

* Finn Jackson’s “Dark Wolves” (great use of perspective)
* Jaeger Spratt’s “Transformation” (so visceral and active, just a really great piece that catches a werewolf mid-transformation)

[Joey Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never write reviews for anything but I was compelled to share the incredible experience I had reading this collection of stories. My favorite of which was Barbwire Teeth by Michael Decesaris. It blows me away how talented some authors are at bringing their stories to life. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys reading!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"With Teeth" is an incredible collection of stories - truly kept me captivated! My favorite story was by Michael DeCesaris, "Barbwire Teeth" - the imagery, the complexities of the characters - I was on the edge of my seat! I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love wolves, I love learning about them and the folklore that surrounds them. This was a great collection of stories ranging from fantastical, to saddening, to gore.

[Joey Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never write reviews for anything I buy but I was compelled to share the incredible experience I had reading this collection of stories. My favorite of which was Barbwire Teeth by Michael Decesaris. It blows me away how talented some authors are at bringing their stories to life. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys reading!