Jaime nodded, her brain already teeming with questions. “Okay.”
“I am a member of a BDSM community called The Enclave. The Enclave is comprised of a group of serious-minded people dedicated to the art and passion of BDSM as a 24/7 lifestyle. We have a compound up in the Blue Ridge Mountains on a large tract of land that affords us complete privacy. Eight Dominants currently live at The Enclave, myself included. We have a full-time slave staff of four women and two men at present.”
“Slave staff?” Jaime blurted, then bit her lip. Anthony gave a brief nod and, though it was unspoken, she felt his displeasure at the interruption.
“Slave staff,” he repeated. “We’re a relatively new community—we only cemented this formal alliance about two years ago, and we’re taking our time in recruiting staff as we refine our expectations. Slaves are carefully chosen, based not so much on their current level of training, but rather on an aptitude, if you will. A willingness to learn, an ability, a need, to submit with every particle of their being.”
“Ooh,” Jaime moaned, enthralled, the word pulled from her before she could stop it. Anthony paused, regarding her, and she stiffened, expecting a rebuke.
But he said nothing, offering only the ghost of a smile as he continued. “Each potential candidate, once they’ve passed the necessary medical and health qualifications, along with a criminal background check, is invited to spend two weeks at The Enclave, a trial period, during which we assess their potential as a full-time staff slave. They undergo rigorous, full-immersion indoctrination—everything from positions training, endurance training, as well as intensive discipline and pain work. There is also basic service, which includes attending to the physical and sexual needs of the Masters and Mistresses, as well as full upkeep of the house. In a word, staff slaves belong to us in every possible context. They serve at our pleasure and suffer at our discretion.”
He paused a moment, the laser beam of his gaze directly entering Jaime’s soul. She realized her mouth had fallen open and ordered it to close. What this man was describing was surely the stuff of erotic fiction, and yet he seemed utterly sincere. Could such a place really exist, and right here in North Carolina?
Anthony continued. “If you come to us as a candidate, you will sign an initial contract that stipulates your agreement to give up all rights to your body and your actions while at The Enclave. You will agree to undergo the training we provide and promise to obey our every dictate and whim. You will be subjected to whippings, caning, needle play, bondage, sexual torture, deprivation and sexual pleasure the likes and intensity of which I am certain you have never experienced in your life. The training is constant and rigorous, but if it’s something you want, something you were born to be, you will welcome the challenge. You will fail, over and over, but you will be given every chance to try again and again and again until you get it right.
“We are sensual sadists, yes, but we do not inflict pain for its sake. Rather, pain is used both as a reward for the true masochist, and as a punishment, when warranted, to teach and reinforce the lesson. If, at the end of the two weeks, both you and we agree it is a good fit, you will be invited to join our community.”
“What if I can’t get it right? What if it’s all too much for me to handle?” Jaime asked, intimidated by his promise she would fail again and again.
“If by that you mean that you determine the training, the total-immersion slavery program isn’t for you, you will be free to leave. The contract between us will be severed at that moment, and you will be returned to your former life. No hard feelings between us, hopefully, but you would have no further contact with The Enclave.”
“Oh,” Jaime said softly, feeling suddenly bereft of something she had yet to even experience.
“I think you have what it takes, or I wouldn’t be making this offer.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Jaime said, warmed by his praise, though not entirely convinced.
“That said, it’s a big commitment, not only of service and dedication, but of your time. With that in mind, training candidates receive ten thousand dollars in advance as compensation for the two weeks of service. We recognize you have expenses and needs in the outside world to which you must attend. Whether or not you are invited to join the staff at the end of the two weeks, that money is yours to keep.”
Ten thousand dollars! That sure would go a long way to covering her past due rent and car payments, not to mention paying off her credit card. Even more astounding, imagine being paid for the training chance of a lifetime!
“I can see your mind working.” Anthony interrupted her thoughts. “I’ve just scratched the surface of the experience, but what do you think so far?”
“Is this real?” Jaime blurted. “This place you’re describing—it’s real? It really exists?”
Anthony smiled. “Oh yes, The Enclave is very real.”
“How do people live there? I mean, is it an enclosed community—no one comes or goes? How do you support that lifestyle? How does that all work?”
Anthony chuckled, shaking his head. “There’s time to answer all your questions, and more, if and when we agree you’re a fit for The Enclave. The first thing for you to consider right now is whether you’re interested in the training.” He leaned forward, fixing her with a serious look. “For obvious reasons, we highly value our privacy. Whether or not you sign up for the training, I ask that you don’t share anything about The Enclave or the people you may meet there with friends or family.”
“I can’t just disappear off the grid for two weeks, can I?”
Anthony shrugged. “We are located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can just say you’re taking a camping vacation, and that your Internet and phone access will be limited. It’s a detail, really, in the face of what I’m offering you.”
Jaime nodded her agreement. It wasn’t like she lived with someone or even had family in the area.
Jaime’s mind whirled with all she was hearing. The place sounded amazing—a Shangri La for those in the lifestyle. But was it something she wanted for herself? More to the point, was it something she could handle? Anthony seemed to have faith in her, but did she have it in herself?
“So, what’s your initial impression, Jaime? Are you interested in moving forward? One of our members is a doctor. I can arrange a physical for you, including blood work, for this Sunday. Assuming you pass the physical and the background check, you could be at The Enclave by the end of the week. What do you think? Are you ready to embrace your dreams—to make them a reality?”
Jaime swallowed hard. Her mind continued to leap and twirl in excited confusion. She shivered, Anthony’s offer touching something deep and essential at the core of her being. Would she be able to handle full-immersion training? He had promised she would fail, again and again. Could she handle that failure? But he’d also promised they would work with her, give her all the chances she needed to succeed, if that was what she truly wanted. Did she truly want it? She couldn’t deny the urgent longing his offer had ignited deep inside her. But did she have what it took to succeed? What better way to find out than to try? If she passed up this chance, she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life.
“Jaime.” Anthony’s voice, authoritative but gentle, cut through the tumult of her thoughts. “I want you to place your hands in your lap, fingers relaxed.” Jaime realized she was clutching herself, her fingers digging into her upper arms in a clenched, protective embrace. “Close your eyes and empty your mind of all the clutter. Breathe. Listen to your heart. To your instincts. Let them guide you in your decision. There is no right or wrong answer. There is only what is true for you, what is right for you.”
Jaime made an effort to comply, willing her cramped fingers to release their death grip on her arms. She let her hands fall loosely into her lap and closed her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. As the chatter in her mind eventually subsided, a sweetly budding joy sprung from a deep, hidden place inside her that she’d never really
permitted herself to explore.
She didn’t only want what Anthony offered. She craved it. She needed it with every fiber of her being. She understood there was no right or wrong decision. In fact, there was no decision to be made. What was true had always been true. Only now she was being offered the chance to seize it.
She opened her eyes and looked directly at Master Anthony.
“Yes, Sir,” she said. “I accept.”
Want to keep reading? Get your copy of No Safeword here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AIZ7WKW
Romance Unbound Publishing
Tricked
Claire Thompson
Edited by Donna Fisk
Fine Line Edit by Linda Marie, Gabriella Wolek & D. Rasmussen
Cover Art by Claire Thompson
Copyright 2020 © Claire Thompson
All rights reserved
Tricked Page 19
