From the Inside Flap:
Daniel Cole sat alone.
The house was empty. His wife had left him, packing her stuff the day after he had told her everything. She had quickly passed by his daughters on her way, sharing the story he had told her and making sure they followed suit. Daniel didn't mind. He wanted his grandchildren as far away from Melington as possible.
Now there was only him. And Michael, of course, but that meant very little now. After what had happened, he doubted there would be any way to clean up the mess and fall back into the old routine. It was over. Everything was over. Melington was over.
He closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head in dismay, wondering how he had been naïve enough to let Alan Carter ruin everything. Daniel wasn't a young man anymore, and he thought back to twenty years before when he had been ruthless with his decisions. When Alan's father had threatened to break the truth to the world, Daniel had not hesitated to give the girl's name to Copper.
It had been cold, but effective.
He should have let Fiona kill the Carter boy the minute he had learned about his arrival in Melington.
Daniel scoffed. Not that it mattered anymore. Let them deal with the beast as it tore the town apart. His duties were over, the task that had been assigned to him now useless and unneeded. He was dispensable, and for the first time since taking on his father's mantel, Daniel Cole felt a deep sense of relief.
The lights of the house flickered, then went completely out. Daniel smiled to himself, knowing what was coming. He had expected as much. It was the only reason why he had made sure he was alone when it happened.
"Cole," the raspy voice came from the darkness surrounding him.
He could smell Copper Tibet well before the beast spoke his name. Daniel braced himself for what was coming. He tried to stay strong as red eyes lit up in front of him, the beast's silhouette barely visible in the scant light coming through the living room windows.
"I am free, Cole," the raspy voice chuckled as a hand reached out and wrapped around Daniel's neck, squeezing.
Cole opened his mouth to speak, but the grip was too tight, blocking his vocal chords and cutting the supply of air to his lungs.
"I have been denied what is mine," Copper Tibet smiled in the darkness, forcing a shiver down Daniel's spine. "Our deal is broken."
Daniel gasped for air, but it was of no use. He shook in fear as the eyes came closer and Copper's rotting breath filled his nostrils. Daniel Cole was almost glad he couldn't breathe it in.
Daniel looked into the blazing reds of Copper Tibet's eyes as the hand gripping his neck tightened, nails piercing flesh and drawing blood in torrents. He could feel the life escape him, and the last thing he heard as his eyes closed was the soft chuckling of Copper Tibet.
"Your children will never be safe!"
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.