ELITE by Rachel Van Dyken (October 14, 2014; Forever Trade Paperback; $12.00)
For Tracey Rooks, life with her grandparents on a Wyoming farm has always been simple. But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .
The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect. Their rules are simple. 1. Do not touch The Elect. 2. Do not look at The Elect. 3. Do not speak to The Elect. No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.
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About the author:
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at
www.rachelvandyken.com
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Elite Excerpt:
“Are you lost?” a deep voice asked from behind me. I turned around and quickly came face to face with the same guy I’d seen before. Only this time he had three friends with him, not one. Lucky me.
“Nope. Apparently I live in the United States.” I gave him my best smile and tried to lift my heavy suitcase with my free hand. It didn’t budge and I almost fell over. Awesome.
“I’m Nixon.” He moved to stand in front of me. His icy stare did weird things to my body. I’m pretty sure what I was experiencing was called a panic attack. Every part of my body felt hot and then cold, as if I was going to explode any minute.
“Tracey, but everyone calls me Trace.” I held out my hand.
He stared at it like I was diseased.
I quickly pulled it back and wiped it on my jeans.
“Rules.”
“What?” I took a step back.
The guy from before named Chase left the waiting group and approached us. “He’s right. As cute as you are, Farm Girl, someone needs to tell you the rules.”
“Can it be fast?” I asked with an overwhelming sense of irritation. I was tired, jet-lagged, and about five seconds away from crying again. I’d never done public school, let alone a private Elite school where the guys were tattooed, pierced, and better looking than Abercrombie models.
“You hear that, Chase?” Nixon laughed. “She likes it fast.”
“Pity.” Chase winked. “I’d love to give it to her slow.”
I gulped. The two guys behind them laughed hysterically and high-fived each other.
“The rules.” Chase began circling me slowly, making me feel like one of those carcasses vultures feed on. Fantastic.
“No speaking to the Elect, unless you’ve been asked to speak to them.”
“Who are the—”
“Nope. You’ve already broken a rule. I’m speaking, New Girl.” Chase smirked. “Geez, Nixon, this one’s going to be hard to break in.”
“They always are,” Nixon replied, lifting my chin with his hand. “But I think I’ll enjoy this one.”
Okay. It was clear someone had just dropped me into a horror movie where I was going to be offed at any minute.
“If an Elect talks to you, never make eye contact. Because, technically, you don’t exist. You’re just a pathetic excuse for a human being, and at this school, you’re a real tragedy. You see, while one of the Elect is out running for president and basically ruling the free world, you’ll be lucky to be working for one of our companies. You follow the rules, and maybe we’ll throw you a bone.”
Furious, I glared at him, ignoring their second rule. “Is that all?”
“No,” Nixon answered for Chase. This time his touch was smooth as he caressed my arm. I tried to jerk away. His face lit up with a smile, and honestly, it was like staring at a fallen angel. Nixon was gorgeous. He was an ass, but he was a gorgeous ass. “You feel this?” His hand continued moving up my arm until he reached my shoulder, and then his hand moved to my neck and his thumb grazed my trembling lips. “Memorize it now, because as of this moment, you can’t touch us. We are untouchable. If you as much as sneeze in our direction, if you as much as breathe the same air in my atmosphere, I will make your life hell. This touch, what you feel against your skin, will be the only time you feel another human being as powerful as me near you. So like I said, feel it, remember it, and maybe one day, your brain will do you the supreme favor of forgetting what it felt like to have someone like me touching you. Then, and only then, will you be able to be happy with some mediocre boyfriend and pathetic life.”
A few tears slipped down my cheek before I could stop them. I knew I needed to appear strong in front of Nixon and Chase. I just . . . I didn’t have it in me, not when he would say such cruel things. I choked back a sob and stared them down, willing the rest of the tears to stay in. I didn’t care who these guys were. They had no right to treat me like this, though it still stung. I so desperately wanted to fit in.
He jerked his hand away from my face. “Pathetic. Are you going to cry? Really?” Nixon scowled and held out his hand to Chase. Chase handed him some Purell.
“Don’t want to get farm on my hands, you understand.” Nixon smiled such a mean smile that I literally had to clench my hands at my sides to keep from punching him in the face and getting expelled.
“Don’t even think about it, New Girl. You touch me, I tell the dean, who just so happens to be Phoenix’s dad. We control the teachers because, guess what? My dad pays for everything. Now, if you have any questions about what we talked about here, please direct them to Tex and Phoenix, ’kay?”
The two guys who had been standing back from us waved and then flipped me off.
“That’s how they say hello,” Nixon explained. “All right, Chase, it seems our job here is done. Oh, and Farm Girl, don’t forget. Classes start tomorrow. Welcome to Hell.”
Enforce Bonus Excerpt!
Enforce
(Elite from Nixon/Chase’s POV)
Nixons POV
Chapter One
Nixon
I watched as the parade of cars made their way through the black iron gates, as if somehow those gates would protect them if the country went to war. Funny, they had no clue that the war—Lucifer himself, was already parading around inside, safe from the police- the feds- anyone who would be a threat.
Safe from everyone but me.
My eyes flickered to Phoenix on my right, he grinned as a new girl walked up to him and gave him a flirty wave.
I elbowed him hard in the ribs.
His grin turned sour as he glared at the girl and flipped her off.
Remember your place.
I’d said it once, twice, a million times to the guys, and they were still struggling with the idea that they weren’t here to go to school, they weren’t here to make friends. We weren’t at peace. We were in a freaking war zone.
And Phoenix’s family was our only key to redemption.
“That seems to be the last of them.” Chase’s cool gaze surveyed the main road that led into campus. It was easier on security to have one road in and one road out. Too bad life wasn’t that convenient.
If someone didn’t belong—it would take us minutes, scratch that, seconds to eliminate them, their family, all while making it look like a very unfortunate accident.
“Wait,” Tex squinted towards the iron gates, “I think there’s one more car.”
“The hell there is.” I muttered, “I counted the cars, I’ve looked at the lists, we aren’t missing anyone.”
Chase yanked the list out of my hand and started reading through the names of all the freshman enrollees. His grin made me about lose my shit as he lifted his head and handed back the paper.
“I hear Wyoming’s beautiful this time of year.”
“What?” I jerked the list away and started greedily reading through the names.
One stood out.
Trace Rooks, Female, 18, Casper, Wyoming.
“Great.” I dropped the list onto the ground and smirked, “A girl who probably smells like cow shit. What’s her background?”
Nobody answered.
I said it louder, this time grinding my teeth together.
Tex was the first to answer, “We couldn’t really find any.”
“Couldn’t. Really. Find. Any.” I repeated. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Look,” Tex shook his head, “We have Sergio on it, but the girl doesn’t really have a lot of information about her. Parents dead, Grandma dead, Grandpa her only living relative and somehow her social as well as her birth certificate were both lost.”
“Lost.” I licked my lips. I told my head not to go there, told my heart to stay in my damn chest and stop hoping as images flooded my mind. Dark hair, dark eyes, “Nixon, I’ll save you.”
“Dude, you okay?” Chase elbowed me.
“Let’s go welcome her to Eagle Elite.”
Nobody moved.
“I said,” I started marching towards the girls’ dorms, “Let’s go welcome her.”
“Why do I have a feeling this is a really bad idea?” Tex said under his breath.
“For once, Tex, keep your mouth shut and stay in the background, paste a shit eating grin on your face and let me and Chase deal with this. Do you think you can do that? Hmm?”
“Take a Xanax.” Phoenix grumbled.
I sent a seething glare in his direction.
He mumbled a curse and walked off with Tex to wait by the tree while we continued the next few feet to the girls’ dorms.
The car was a rental.
The grandpa was ancient.
The girl was…young.
And she had shit as belongings. Her suitcase was covered with stickers, her grandpa handed her a small box, and I could have sworn I saw a tear escape her eye and roll down her smooth cheek.
“Hell no.” I grumbled, “She’ll be destroyed here.”
“Won’t last five minutes.” Chase agreed.
“Tears.” I wiped my face with my hands, “Tell me I’m not seeing tears.”
“Girls don’t cry here.”
“They don’t.” I agreed.
“She isn’t like them.”
“No.”
“We need Mo.”
I laughed at that, “We need a miracle.” With a curse, I quickly dialed the number for orientation and made arrangements for the New Girl to be moved to the United States room. Mo was supposed to be on that same floor. I figured she needed all the help she could get. No way would little Wyoming survive the year with anyone else, not that I was happy about it. I mean in hindsight that was probably my first mistake.
I’d officially invited her into my life—by way of my sister.
“New girl’s here.” I said loud enough for Tracey to turn around and gape. “So squeaky clean and innocent. Like a little lamb, right, Chase?” I tilted my head and offered her a smirk.
The old man reached in his jacket. It was a move I knew well. Another clue. He wasn’t what he said he was. He wasn’t who he said he was. As if noticing my calculating glare, he removed his hand and offered a forced smile, “A welcoming committee? This place sure is nice.”
I had to respect his control. The way he protectively stood in front of Tracey as if he was the only thing standing in the way of my devouring her.
“Is there a problem?” He scratched his head, causing his shirt sleeve to fall, revealing a small tattoo. One I’d seen as a child but couldn’t place.
“Do I know you?” I blurted.
He laughed, “Know any farmers out in Wyoming?”
It was his tone that convinced me, the way his shook his head slightly, waiting for my challenge. It was the same look my Uncle gave me when he wanted me to stop pushing.
It was the look that my dad taught me when I was ten and witnessed my first torture.
The girl was still staring at us. Easy target. I’d leave the old man alone, he reminded me too much of mine. And I didn’t need that reminder, not now.
I lifted my arms and stretched lazily.
The girls eyes went wide as she stared at my body.
Chase hit me in the stomach.
I sauntered forward and tilted her chin towards me, closing her mouth in the process. “Much better,” I licked my lips and fought the urge to kiss her. Yeah, I was losing my shit. “We’d hate for our charity case to choke on an insect on her first day.” Her lips trembled as she looked from me to her Grandpa. I released her before she could do anything, and walked past, with Chase in tow.
I needed to talk to the girl at registration anyways. We disappeared behind the building, but I’d be back. I just needed the Grandpa to leave.
Within seconds the rental car was driving away. And the girl as all mine. My heart thudded against my chest, and for a second, I regretted what I was about to do.
But every possible outcome ended with either her death, or her in danger. And for some reason, I didn’t want someone like her at Eagle Elite. She didn’t belong in my world.
She deserved a picket fence.
A husband.
A good college experience without classmates who’d rather see her commit suicide than survive the next four years.
They would destroy her.
And she would make it so damn easy to do so.
The only way—was to beat them to it. To be the first, marking her as our target, our play-thing.
Nobody messed with what was mine.
And in the end, nobody would mess with her. They’d allow me to entertain them with her innocence. I’d dangle her in front of them like a carrot, and at the end of the day, she’d be untouchable.
I sighed as she looked up at the building gaping like someone who’d been homeschooled and never seen a sky scraper before.
She was too skinny.
I made a mental note to get her one of my access cards—she didn’t need to know how much they cost—or that every single student at EE would kill to have one. Mo would take care of the rest.
She’d eat with us.
She’d want for nothing.
It was the least I could do after what I was about to make her endure.
Licking my lips I approached her again, this time, damning myself to hell with each step I took. “Are you lost?”
“Nope.” She grinned, damn it made her prettier. “Apparently I live in the United States.” With a shrug she tried and failed to lift her heavy suitcase and nearly toppled over onto her cute ass.
I muffled a laugh, knowing that Chase was doing the exact same thing. Being mean to her would be like kicking a puppy. But the world was ugly. I just hated that I would be her tutor in the ways of reality—her prince of darkness.
Damn, I would have done anything to be the hero.
“I’m Nixon.” I stood directly in front of her, shifting my eyes from her poorly fitting clothes to her ugly shoes.
“Tracey, but everyone calls me Trace.” She held out her hand.
I itched to touch it.
To touch her skin.
Instead, I scowled, shook her hand, then wiped that same hand on my jeans as if she was diseased.
“Rules.”
“What?” She took a step back.
Chase moved past me, “He’s right. As cute as you are, Farm Girl, someone needs to tell you the rules.”
Her gaze narrowed, “Can it be fast?”
Yeah, again, I almost lost my mind. Chase was probably ready to shit his pants. The last person that talked back to him was Phoenix and that ended with a few broken bones and a trip to the dentist.
“You hear that Chase?” I said amused, “She likes it fast.”
“Pity,” Chase took a step closer, nearly touching her with his body, “I’d love to give it to her slow.” His eyes raked her in, as if she was the first girl he’d ever seen in his entire existence. Jealousy surged through me. What he hell? She wasn’t his. Not that she was mine, but still. He was standing too close, too close.
“The rules.” He stepped back. My heart beat returned to normal, “No speaking to the Elect, unless you’ve been asked to speak to them.” He circled around her, staring a little long at her ass before he continued.
“Who are the— “
“Nope. You’ve already broken a rule. I’m speaking, New Girl.” Chase smirked. “Geez, Nixon, this one’s going to be hard to break in.”
“They always are.” I said without taking my eyes from her, “But I think I’ll enjoy this one.” The first true thing I’d said. I would enjoy it too much. I’d enjoy her too much, because she reminded me of someone I used to know. Someone who offered to save me, when I was already past saving, someone who wiped my tears, and cried as if they were her own.
Chase continued with the rules. Making me sicker as her face continued to fall.
Finally she asked, “Is that all?”
“No.” Raw desire pulsed through me as I approached her, needing to touch her, needing to make sure she was real even though I knew I was acting like a complete and utter lunatic. Chase and I would have words later. He knew me better than I knew myself sometimes. I was going too far, pushing myself, pushing him.
My hand caressed her face, then moved down her smooth neck to her shoulder. I wanted to claim her, to possess her, to make her scream—but not with fear, with utter ecstasy. I had no idea who she was, but she made me want. And that was the problem.
For the first time in years. I wanted.
I wasn’t allowed to want.
I had to die to myself.
Because in the grand scheme of things? It wasn’t about me. It was about blood, family, protection. Blood in, blood out.
Her eyes dilated. Furious that she’d reacted so easily, upset with myself for making my own body suffer, I snapped.
“You feel this? Memorize it now, because as of this moment, you can’t touch us. We are untouchable. If you as much as sneeze in our direction, if you as much breathe the same air in my atmosphere. I will make your life hell. This touch, what you feel against your skin, will be the only time you feel another human being as powerful as me near you. So like I said, feel it, remember it, and maybe one day, your brain will do you the supreme favor of forgetting what it felt like to have someone like me touching you. Then, and only then, will you be able to be happy with some mediocre boyfriend and pathetic life.” Away from me. Away from it all. Safe.
A few more tears escaped down her cheek.
And I knew in that moment. It was the beginning of the end.
My end.
My downfall.
My demise.
Review:
Elite was a book that I enjoyed very much, and I'm definitely going to add this author to my list of keep an eye out for new books by. The writing really flowed smoothly and the Traci's voice really came through. It didn't feel like it was a book, it felt like it was either a movie playing out in front of me or that I was a background character in the book watching things happen.
There were lots of different moments even moments where there was deep thought and speaking on the human condition. It added more depth to the book and I really enjoyed that.
Throughout Elite, you do find yourself thinking. Either sympathizing with different characters or trying to figure out what or who is being nice only to turn around and stab Tracey in the back. It added a little bit of intrigue into the book and I liked the fact that I was suspicious about people's motives. It made for a great read.
The Eagle Elite University is definitely not like any university I've ever heard of. I loved that. It added a bit of need to find out what was all going on. I found a lot of the book questioning what the heck kind of school this was and I swear there were points in which curiosity almost killed me.
The plot was very unique as I don't think people have really thought about taking on this age group and this topic(I'm not going to mention the combo as it would be spoilery, ;)) It was new, and shiny and I don't know but it made Elite stand out in my mind, and I definitely want to read more by Rachel Van Dyken.
You should definitely give Elite a read even if New Adult/Young Adult isn't something you typically read. It was a great book, one I will definitely be reading again.
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