Born the eldest son of aristocracy and heir to many titles, Alastair Crypt thought his future was set in stone… until love claimed his heart in its feverish embrace. Beatrice, the daughter of an impoverished fisherman, becomes the center of his world, igniting a spark inside Alastair he thought had long since withered to dust. Happily-ever-after was not written in their fate, however. Sorrow bleeds into darkness and despair as Alastair fights to resist the sweet temptation of madness. Those around him begin to perish, and Alastair feels the last shred of humanity fraying inside his grief-drenched mind. Through suffering, a monster is birthed.