INSANITY

  KINGS OF GROVE ACADEMY

  BOOK FIVE

  KATIE MAY

  EXPRESSO PUBLISHING, LLC

  Copyright © 2026 by Katie May

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  No part of this book or cover was created by AI. Katie May is strongly against the usage of generative AI. She does not give any authors or companies permission to use her novels in AI-training databases.

  Edited by Autumn Reed

  Cover Design by Jodie-Leigh Plowman of JODIELOCKS Designs

  To the woman who claimed my romance books must be written by Satan himself. Who hurt you?

  CONTENTS

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Previously on Kings of Grove Academy…

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Katie May

  FOREWORD

  This is a dark contemporary reverse harem romance with strong language, sexual situations, and scenes of graphic violence. This particular book deals with issues readers might find triggering, such as self-harm, murder, torture, and sexual assault. I want you to read my book, but more than that, I want you to take care of yourself. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my team with any questions or concerns!

  INTRODUCTION

  Insanity is the fifth and final book of a slow-burn, contemporary, academy romance. Despite the characters being in high school, I definitely do not consider this young adult. All of the main characters are over the age of eighteen. It contains strong language and sexual situations, as well as murder and violence. It’s a reverse harem romance, meaning our main female character, Ellie, won’t have to choose just one man to be with at the end of the series. If such matters offend you, I recommend putting this book down.

  Our female lead, Ellie, also starts off as innocent and naive, though she does become stronger with each new book in the series. I love writing about character growth, and this series has it more than any other. Badasses aren’t born as badasses, and Ellie is no exception. I can promise that by the end of the series, you’ll grow to love her as a character.

  The men, on the other hand, are all hardened alphas and serial killers. However, there is no bullying whatsoever from the guys. They worship the ground Ellie walks on and will do anything for her.

  I hope you enjoy!

  PREVIOUSLY ON KINGS OF GROVE ACADEMY…

  Our female lead, Ellie, finally convinces her older brother, Fischer, to allow her to live in the dorms on campus. After their parents died a few years prior, he became extremely protective of her, but since he has become a state senator, he can’t be around as often as he would like.

  Ellie is close friends to the five kings of the school, but she always feels as if there’s a divide between them. She doesn’t know quite how to define their relationship, despite their closeness.

  The guys, however, are keeping secrets, all under the pretense of protecting Ellie. They’re serial killers who target members of the elite organization known as POP—The Paragons of Prosperity. POP is ruled by a masked man only known as The Divine One.

  Ellie’s guy friends are terrified of telling her the truth because they fear she’ll hate them once she discovers everything they have done and all of the people they have killed in her name. Their decision to keep POP a secret from her has caused a lot of tension and division within the group.

  Ellie gets chosen to compete in the Culling, a series of trials that will prove whether or not she’s fit to become a member of POP. She keeps her involvement in the Culling a secret from her guy friends because she’s not sure if she can trust them. More than that, she doesn’t want to put them in harm’s way.

  The first trial finds her abandoned in a corn field and forced to find her way home. During this task, she stumbles upon Zane’s bloody barn, where the guys dispose of their victims’ bodies through the meat grinders. The second trial has her trapped in a room with only an hour to escape. The third takes place during the Halloween carnival, where she’s kidnapped and comes face to face with one of her friends, Blair. The two girls are told to kill each other. Ellie refuses, but Blair attempts to kill Ellie. However, the gun they were given wasn’t loaded, and The Divine One kills Blair for being impure.

  At the end of the book, Landon confesses that the Culling isn’t designed to create new members of POP. It’s to find a worthy human sacrifice.

  Throughout book two, Ellie finds herself spiraling down a black hole of depression after she witnesses some members of POP sacrificing an innocent girl to their so-called goddess, Cassia. They believe Cassia will grant them wealth and power if they offer up pure sacrifices on a continual basis.

  After discovering her guy friends knew about POP this entire time, Ellie cuts them out of her life, though they do everything in their power to win back her trust and respect.

  The Divine One tells Ellie that as a test to prove herself to POP, she needs to give them a senator named Reece Whipers for reasons unknown.

  Slowly and surely, Ellie begins to forgive her guy friends under the condition that they don’t keep anymore secrets from her.

  Over Thanksgiving break, POP members and The Divine One are able to sneak onto Ellie’s property. Mania believes that some members of Fischer’s security team may be involved with the cult…and maybe even Fischer himself. Landon, Dominic, and Zane decide to investigate the security team.

  At the end of book two, Ellie and Beckett are kidnapped by mysterious foes and Ryker, who was tracking them, is hit by a car.

  Book three picks up with Ellie meeting her Uncle Raymond for the first time. Raymond insists he’s not a part of POP and has been trying to protect Ellie this entire time. When he leaves, Ellie escapes through an air vent and is able to rescue Beckett, who has also been taken.

  Meanwhile, Landon, Dominic, and Zane are out chasing their own leads. They follow some of Fischer’s security guards to a fight club, where the guys are able to nab one of their phones. When they return to the dorm, they receive a call from the hospital telling them that Ryker has been admitted with a broken arm.

  Ryker, in the hospital, is visited by The Divine One who gives him an ultimatum—his life in exchange for Ellie’s. The Divine One tells Ryker he must turn himself in by December 16 or Ellie’s life will be the price.

  The entire group finally reconvenes, and they work to figure out who The Divine One is and how to stop POP once and for all. They also need to decide if they can trust Raymond.

  Dominic and Ellie get invited to dinner at Dominic’s biological father’s house. While there, Harvey hints to Dom that he wants him to join a secret organization if he “takes out the trash.” Dominic believes Harvey is talking about POP.

  Over winter break, the group chooses to hide out at Dom’s parents’ cabin. Meanwhile, Zane arrives with a kidnapped Reece Whipers in the back of his car. The group must then decide what to do with Reece—turn him in or help him. Reece confesses he’s been secretly trying to destroy POP from the inside, which is why The Divine One is after him.

  Beckett is finally able to access the mysterious app found on Harvey and Seth’s phones, and it’s revealed to be a way for the rich and powerful to sell, bet on, and trade humans.

  The Divine One arrives at the cabin and demands that they hand over Reece. Ryker confesses that he must go as well because he made a deal to protect Ellie, though the group objects. Reece willingly goes to POP while the others plan an escape. The group decides to fake Ryker’s death using the burnt body of Ryker’s mom’s drug dealer.

  In book four, it’s revealed that Ryker has been in hiding with the help of Raymond, staying at a half-constructed hotel in the middle of nowhere.

  Meanwhile, Ellie and Dominic find themselves entangled in the inner workings of POP thanks to his biological father, Harvey. At one of POP’s parties, Ellie discovers Senator Reece is forced to fight to the death against other prisoners for entertainment.

  As they delve further into the inner workings of POP, Ellie and her men uncover shocking revelati
ons about her family history. She learns that her parents were once members of POP and that her older brother, Fischer, is a current member. The group deduces that they need to find The Divine One’s little black book—which contains blackmail on all of the current members—and to do that, they need Fischer’s help.

  Raymond reveals that Ellie’s biological mother, Aria, is alive and is The Divine One. The situation escalates when Ellie is put up for sale on POP’s app.

  In a violent confrontation, Landon is stabbed while protecting Ellie, and she is forced to kill an attacker in self-defense. Ellie is tranquilized by Teak, Raymond’s right-hand man, and falls unconscious.

  Characters:

  Ellie — the protagonist of the story, who lost her mother and father years earlier. Since then, she’s been looked after by her older brother, Fischer. She’s quiet and studious but has somehow managed to gain the attention of the guys of Mania and the members of POP. She’s an unwilling member of POP and seems to be favored by The Divine One. At the beginning of book three, she discovers she has an uncle she never knew about before. She is tranquilized by Teak in book four.

  Landon — the leader of Mania, a gang of men who aim to destroy POP. He’s been in love with Ellie for many years and is fiercely protective of his friend group. He is stabbed at the end of book four, and his fate is currently unknown.

  Dominic — the second-in-command of Mania. He’s Landon’s best friend and can come across as an asshole. He has a strange obsession with getting Ellie in his clothes, though she firmly believes he hates her. He was adopted when he was a baby, though his birth-father still makes him attend weekly family dinners. He suspects his birth-father is a member of POP. In book three, Harvey hints that he wants Dominic to join POP.

  Zane — the most eccentric member of Mania. His parents leave him alone for months at a time, so Mania uses his house and barn to cover up their murders. He’s clinically insane and obsessed with Ellie.

  Ryker — a member of Mania. He’s silent, preferring to watch from the shadows, and is the only member of Mania not swimming in money. His mother is a junky who abuses him, though at the end of book three he kills her dealer and pimp to give her a chance to start over. He is forced to fake his own death at the end of book three.

  Beckett — the final and newest member of Mania. He’s a foreign exchange student from England who is obsessed with clothing designs. He met Ellie when he was sixteen after saving her from getting assaulted by douchebags.

  Victoria — Ellie’s posh, elegant, French roommate.

  Piper — Ellie’s outgoing, hyper roommate and the girlfriend of Blair.

  Jane — Ellie’s soft-spoken, studious roommate.

  Blair — Piper’s girlfriend and a member of the Culling. She is killed by The Divine One at the end of book one after she tries, and fails, to kill Ellie at his orders.

  Fischer — Ellie’s older brother. He’s a state senator and is often away for long periods at a time. Mania suspects that he’s involved with POP, though Ellie refuses to believe it. However, she is forced to confront the truth in book four when it’s revealed he’s training to take over for The Divine One.

  Roy — a boy Ellie went on a date with. He still seems to have feelings for her, despite her repeated rejections. He tries to assault her but is stopped by a furious Zane.

  Dane — a charming, flirtatious boy who expresses an interest in Ellie. He is murdered by Mania in book two.

  Paulina — a typical mean girl and Dane’s stepsister. She transfers schools after the death of her stepbrother in book two.

  Mr. Moreau — a new teacher who seems to have a lot of interest in Ellie. Ryker beats him up after he finds Mr. Moreau touching Ellie inappropriately. He quits his job in book two.

  The Divine One — the leader of POP who always conceals his or her face with a mask and his or her body with a cloak. Ellie believes him to be a man, but she isn’t entirely certain. At the end of book four, Ellie discovers The Divine One is her biological mother.

  Melody Ladouceur — a woman who was born over one hundred years ago and the daughter of the town’s founders. When she was accidentally kill, her parents found themselves coming into great riches and power, thus starting the Paragons of Prosperity.

  Harvey — Dominic’s biological father and a member of POP.

  Dana — Harvey’s wife who constantly tries to win Dominic’s affection through whatever means necessary. She is having an affair with her two step-sons, Doyle and Dustin.

  Senator Reece Whipers — A mysterious senator that The Divine One kidnaps at the end of book three. He is revealed to have been trying to destroy POP from the inside.

  Raymond — Ellie’s biological uncle (her dad’s brother) who is trying to take down POP. Ellie calls him at the end of book three and asks for his help.

  PROLOGUE

  ELLIE

  “Have you heard the term hybristophilia before?”

  The therapist is a lean man with a generous amount of brown hair framing a tan, angular face. His shrewd eyes—an unassuming color of palest green, almost yellow in certain lights—peer back at me from beneath a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

  Dr. Peter Churchill, he introduced himself as.

  Or “Doc Pete.”

  I stare over his shoulder at the tank of exotic fish. Blue, yellow, red, and even one that appears green, their scales illuminated by display lights.

  I’m not surprised he has a fish tank in his office. Everything about Peter is a walking cliché, from the way he talks—all stilted syllables and amused reprimands, like he’s telling a joke no one but him understands—to the outfits he wears. A sweater vest today, of course. Tweed. Tweed. Beckett would have a field day with him.

  And that damn fish tank…

  I sometimes feel like those fish—trapped. Do they ever wish they were free in the ocean? Or are they content mindlessly swimming in this tank with random humans peering in? Would they even survive being reacclimated with others of their type, in an environment they’re unfamiliar with? Or would they perish immediately, eaten by predators bigger than them?

  The largest one, its scales a deep blue interspersed with black smudges, like someone rubbed charcoal across its back, stops swimming in front of me. Its beady eyes seem to home in on me with unwavering intensity, chiseling away my defenses, stripping me bare⁠—

  “Ellie.” Doc Pete’s smooth baritone washes over me, and I snap my head in his direction automatically. Feigned concern etches itself across his features, turning down his lips and deepening the furrow between his eyebrows. He taps the edge of his pen against his mouth. “What are you thinking about?”

  The last thing I want to confess is the truth, so I straighten my spine and meet his gaze impassively.

  A tentative smile tilts up the corners of his lips before he stifles it, becoming serious once more. “Hybristophilia. Have you heard of it before?”

  Again, I don’t respond.

  “It’s a disorder where a person will feel romantic or sexual attraction to criminals, particularly serial killers.” He watches me carefully, but if he’s expecting a reaction, he isn’t going to get one. “Sometimes, these people believe they can change the killer. Others believe it’s romantic to have someone go to the ends of the earth for them—even if that includes murder.”

  I stare at him blankly.

  He leans forward so he can rest his arms on his thighs, a decidedly casual posture despite the cunning gleam in his eyes. The sight causes my chest to tighten, invisible ropes coiling around my heart and squeezing.

  Squeezing.

  Squeezing.

  “Tell me, Ellie… Which category do you fall in? What made you fall in love with five deranged serial killers?”

  1

  ELLIE

  MONTHS EARLIER

  Ireally fucking hate waking up in an unfamiliar room.

  Dappled sunlight streaks through the barred window, creating an assortment of lines across the carpeted floor.

  My first thought is—I’m in another hotel room. The same hotel but a different room.