What does it really mean to be a demon? The school menace, Murk, has it out for Alex, but his low-level meanness turns into something far more sinister after a chance encounter. When Alex finds a massive beat-up dog left behind by Murk and his gang in the woods, he realizes that the dog is… special. As Alex and the dog, Shade, forge an unbreakable telepathic bond, their destinies become intertwined with forces beyond their understanding.