The Wolf-Leader

by Alexandre Dumas

"The Wolf-Leader" by Alexandre Dumas is a dark fantasy novel published in 1857. When shoe-maker Thibault is beaten by a lord's gamekeeper, he encounters a wolf walking like a man who offers him revenge—one wish for each hair on his head. Thibault accepts, gaining power to command wolves and the reputation of being a werewolf. But each wish that brings him vengeance also backfires in unexpected ways, transforming him and turning his community against him in this tale of supernatural bargains and their terrible costs.