Chapter 12
The locker room was a symphony of steam and skin, the scent of sweat and soap thick in the air. I was folding a stack of towels when she walked in—Chloe, the new girl. Twenty-one, with wide, dark eyes and a nervous smile, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun, her uniform already a size too big for her slender frame. Her skin was pale, almost luminous, her collarbone delicate, her waist narrow, her hips flaring just enough to hint at the curves beneath her clothes. She clutched a clipboard like it was a lifeline, her knuckles white.
“You must be Tessa,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Maddie said you’d be training me.”
I looked her over. She was desperate. I could see it in the way her fingers trembled around the clipboard, in the shadows under her eyes. She needed the money. Badly. I recognized the look—the same one I’d worn on my first day, the same hunger, the same fear.
“Chloe, right?” I asked, my voice smooth. “Welcome to Eclipse Mountain.”
She nodded, her eyes flicking to the other staff members, their silver necklaces glinting in the dim light. “I just… I need to know what to expect,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
I gestured to the bench beside me. “Sit,” I said, my voice a low murmur. “Let’s talk.”
She obeyed, her body trembling as she perched on the edge of the bench, her clipboard clutched to her chest. “What exactly will I have to do?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Is it… safe? What if I say no? What if I can’t do it? What if I freeze?”
I reached up, my fingers tracing the silver chain at my throat. The mountain peak charm was warm from months of wear, the metal a second skin now. “It’s as safe as you make it,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “Some guests are rough. Some are gentle. You’ll learn to read them. And if you ever feel unsafe, you say no. Or you find me. I’ll protect you. And if you freeze, then you freeze. And then you try again. That’s how you learn.”
She exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “And the money?”
I laughed, the sound low and knowing. “The money’s good,” I said. “But that’s not why you’ll stay.” I took a deep breath, my fingers still tracing the chain. “There’s more to this job than serving drinks and showing guests to their rooms. You’ve noticed the necklace.”
She nodded, her eyes wide. “I saw Maddie wearing one. And some of the others. What does it mean?”
I remembered Maddie’s words in this very locker room: This isn’t you. This is what they want you to be. The fear, the hunger, the surrender. I’d come so far since then. And now, I was the one initiating. I could be rough, like Maddie had been with me. But I chose to be gentle.
“It means you’re available,” I said. “To anyone. Members, staff—doesn’t matter. No means no, of course. But they’re really good at making you not want to say no.” I took her hand, her fingers trembling against my skin. I guided it to my bare stomach, just below the pink bra. Her touch was hesitant, her breath catching in her throat. “This is your weapon now,” I murmured. “Not your legs. Not your racing time. Not your degree. This.”
***
That night, the locker room was empty, the only sound the hum of the fluorescents, the distant clatter of the kitchen staff cleaning up. Chloe sat on the bench, her uniform discarded, her body trembling. She was all nervous energy and wide eyes, her dark hair a stark contrast against her pale skin. Her body was a study in soft curves—her breasts small but perfect, her nipples hard and dark against her skin, her waist narrow, her hips flaring just enough to hint at the woman beneath.
I didn’t waste time. I stepped closer, my hands finding her chin, my voice a low murmur. “You’re tense,” I said, my fingers tracing her jaw. “Let me help with that.”
She didn’t resist. She simply nodded, her body trembling as I guided her down onto a pile of towels, the fabric soft against her skin. I knelt beside her, my fingers tracing her collarbone, her skin warm against my touch.
“Close your eyes,” I murmured, my voice a low purr. “Just feel.”
She obeyed, her breath coming in short gasps, her body trembling as my fingers slid lower, tracing the curve of her breast, the dip of her waist, the swell of her hip. Her skin was soft, her body responsive to my touch, her breath hitching as my fingers found the clasp of her bra. I undid it, the fabric falling away, her breasts spilling free. They were small, perfect, her nipples hard and dark against her pale skin. She tasted of soap and nervous sweat and something younger, something untouched.
I leaned in, my mouth finding one nipple, my tongue swirling around the hard peak. Chloe gasped, her back arching like a bowstring drawn taut, then released, her hands gripping my hair, her voice a low moan. Then a sharp intake of breath as my tongue found her clit, followed by a low, wondering moan. I took my time, my tongue slow, deliberate, my lips sealing around her nipple as I circled it with the kind of precision that made her toes curl. Then I moved to the other, my mouth finding her other nipple, my tongue swirling around the hard peak, my lips sealing around it as I worked her with practiced ease. She gasped, her body trembling, her voice a low moan.
I kissed her then, my lips finding hers, my tongue sliding against her lips. The taste of her was intoxicating, the flavor of her mouth filling mine, my body pressing against hers. Then I returned to her nipples, my mouth finding one, then the other, my tongue swirling around the hard peaks, my lips sealing around them as I worked her with slow, deliberate strokes.
“You’re doing so well,” I murmured against her skin. “Just let go. I’ve got you.”
I worked my way lower, my mouth finding her pussy, my tongue swirling around her clit. The taste of her was intoxicating, the scent of her arousal filling my nostrils, the flavor of her filling my mouth. The locker room was quiet, the only sound the hum of the fluorescents, the sharp gasp of her breath, the wet slide of my tongue against her skin. Her hands gripped my hair, her thighs trembling around my ears as I worked her with practiced ease. I could feel her body tensing, her pleasure building, her breath coming in sharp gasps. I was remembering my own first time, feeling protective, powerful, tender. This was a gift I was giving her, a moment she would never forget.
The tension in her body was a living thing, her muscles coiling tighter with each stroke of my tongue. I could feel her pleasure building, her breath coming in sharp gasps, her voice a low moan. And then she was falling, her body shaking, her voice raw as pleasure tore through her. The sound echoed through the locker room, the towels warm beneath her body, her skin slick with sweat. She was crying, her body trembling, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Relief. Overwhelm. A mix of emotions I recognized all too well.
I didn’t stop. I simply moved up her body, my mouth finding hers, my tongue sliding against her lips. The taste of her was intoxicating, the flavor of her arousal filling my mouth, my body pressing against hers.
I pulled back, my fingers finding the silver necklace in my pocket. The ring charm was delicate, a stark contrast to my mountain peak. I fastened it around her throat, the metal cool against her skin, my hands steadying her shoulders.
“There,” I murmured, my voice a promise. “Now you’re one of us.”
Chloe touched the ring charm, her fingers tracing the metal, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and wonder. She was scared. Excited. Grateful. All of the above. I handed her a towel, my voice soft.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, her fingers still tracing the charm. Then, after a long moment: “Will it hurt? The first time with a guest?”
I smiled, my hands squeezing her shoulders. “It might. But you’ll learn to ask for what you need. And you’ll always have me. Whatever you want,” I said, my voice a low purr. “But remember—this is your weapon now. Use it wisely.”
She nodded, her eyes flicking to the charm, then back to my face. Understanding passed between us—a silent promise, a shared secret.
I stood, my body still humming with the aftershocks of her pleasure, my skin slick with sweat. The silver necklace glinted against my skin, the silver chain a stark contrast. I was no longer the desperate girl. I was the matriarch of the mountain.
I looked down at Chloe, seeing myself from months ago—the fear, the hunger, the surrender. The $47,000 was paid. The men—Gunnar, Pierce, Julian—they had made me who I was. And now, I would do the same for her. For the next girl. For the next. She would be afraid. She would make mistakes. But she would also find her power. Just like I had.