Waking Evil

The Elite The Elite Series Book One: Waking Evil ~ * * * ~ Gigi Templeton Table of Contents The Elite Table of Contents Copyright About This Book Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty-One Chapter Fifty-Two Chapter Fifty-Three Chapter Fifty-Four Chapter Fifty-Five Chapter Fifty-Six Chapter Fifty-Seven Chapter Fifty-Eight Chapter Fifty-Nine Chapter Sixty The Elite, Book Two: Bloodletting or Wolfsbane About Gigi Templeton Copyright All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. All characters are fictional. Any resemblances are strictly coincidence. The Elite Copyright © 2023 by Gigi Templeton Cover Art Copyright © 2023 by Miraworth Designs About This Book Book One in The Elite Series by Gigi Templeton It’ll either be an epic love or sheer devastation… Tara: Forbidden is suddenly a dark luxury I can’t escape. I’m not supposed to cast spells outside the walls of the family mansion. I’m not supposed to seek revenge on The Elite for hurting my youngest sister. And I’m definitely not supposed to be lusting after the enemy, Ryan Carter—one of The Elite of Lanier Academy. But all of the above is completely inescapable. Carter: She’s dark. Seriously dark. Not just her hair and her eyes, but her soul. Because of what happened to her sister. Haunting is the best way to describe her. Or haunted. It’s a cloak Tara Heller wears that I share with her, due to circumstances beyond my control. We also share an undeniable attraction. One that’s amplified with every forbidden touch… Book One: Waking Evil Book Two: Bloodletting or Wolfsbane Book Three: Falling for the Demon King CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, mention of suicide and death, adult/mature content, homicidal thoughts, mention of rape, revenge, bullying, mention of psychological disorders, witchcraft The author has a background in the military mental health space. This is strictly a work of fiction. Please seek help if you suffer from traumatic or suicidal thoughts. U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) Prologue ~ Waking Evil ~ Gemma Heller made her trek down the long, winding road from the bonfire party that had ended an hour ago, working her way toward the small, affluent community of Lanier, Massachusetts. It was a blustery Christmas Eve—though, no, it was after midnight and now officially Christmas. She willed herself to keep more tears from trickling down her chilled cheeks. She’d cried enough this evening. Over her stupid infatuation with Ryan Carter. Over being left on the mountain by his friends. Over having to face her sisters when she eventually reached home. She’d always been the quiet one. The obedient one. The good witch. Her family had never had to worry about keeping Gemma in line. She didn’t miss her curfew or do anything foolish…or dangerous. Usually. Then she’d met Carter. And even though he hadn’t directly put her life in jeopardy tonight, crushing on him certainly had. Oh, the riot act her older sisters were going to read her the moment she stepped through the front— A snapping of twigs behind her sent a shiver of alarm through Gemma. She drew up short and spared a glance over her shoulder. She saw nothing. No one. They’re all gone. Her friends, included. They hadn’t even known Gemma was there, because she’d been upset over Carter and the absurd confession she’d made to him, which had caused him to leave the party almost immediately. She’d blended into the inky tree line around the perimeter, trying to get her sobbing under control. By then, the bonfire had dimmed. Her friends had scattered. One group had remained. Carter’s gang. Yet they’d driven off when she’d asked for a ride. A cruel joke. They’ll come back. It was just a matter of time before Dylan Wyndham’s Navigator would crest the ridge. A matter of minutes, really. Gemma was certain of it. No one would leave a sixteen-year-old girl on a mountainside. Especially with pink tinging the clouds, telling of another impending snowstorm. Her breaths were heavy puffs of white in the shimmer of moonlight. And the tip of her nose tingled from the frigid air. She burrowed her hands deeper in the pockets of her ski jacket. This is all your fault. Tara had told her to charge her cell phone this morning when they were at breakfast. Not long before they’d all dispersed to finish their last-minute shopping—an annual competition to see who could find the best stocking stuffer—going their separate ways in a secretive fashion. Gemma more secretive than the others…because if they’d known she was attending this party, one of her three sisters would have come with her. And that just wouldn’t do. Now the phone was dead, and Tinsley, Tara and Natalie were likely frantic and pacing the foyer, wondering where she was. Given the dire circumstances, Gemma would be justified in breaking the cardinal rule that prohibited her from using magic outside the family estate. She pulled her cell from her pocket and— Thwack! Gemma let out a piercing cry of agony as a blow to the back of her skull pitched her forward, sending her phone skittering across the icy ground as she fell to the shoulder of the road,