Shadow Of Secrets Pt 18

Disclaimer: All characters are 18+, no underage characters will ever be portrayed in any shape or form in this or any future stories.

Eva's point of view

The sun rose in the sky above Darklight City, casting a golden hue upon the metropolis below. Skyscrapers stood proud amidst the sea of humanity, their glass facades glittering like a million tiny diamonds. Yet, crime flourished within the city's shadows, and the League of Heroes seemed unable to curb the surge of villainy. The disappearance of numerous super-heroines remained unsolved, baffling the entire city.

Eva woke up in her bed, her heart weighed down by the burden of the conversation she desperately needed to have with Erik. She contemplated the repercussions of confronting him about what he must have witnessed. Her apprehension grew, fueled by the knowledge that she was now exposed to Jax, who seemed determined to exploit her deepest vulnerabilities.

As she sat up, a familiar sensation washed over her, the warmth of her powers surging through her veins once more. Few shattered remnants of the choker lay scattered on the floor, a stark reminder of the chaos unleashed within her life. Jax had scooped up most of the broken choker last night in a darkness before leaving her apartment. Eva was too embarrassed about her son having seen her having sex that she was all too happy to see Jax leaving.

Eva took a deep breath, summoning the courage to confront her son. She needed to set some boundaries for him. It was still her apartment that she shared with Erik but she deserved to have some privacy in her own bedroom. Jax's words kept reverberating in her mind about making Erik move out.

Eva didn't want that at all. Her son was all she had in this world; her sole reason of renouncing her powers and her place in the league. She trusted Jax but she wasn't going to let him dictate what she did with her life. What weirded out Eva the most was why Erik would even want to peek in her room in the first place? She fought hard to push the thought out of her mind that maybe her son was a pervert in some way.

When Eva stood up from the bed she felt slightly unsteady on her feet; her back sore from last night's sexual encounter with Jax. Her entire body was coated in a thin sheen of sweat that made her skin glisten and glow. Thinking about Erik's motives behind peeking in her bedroom when she and Jax were having sex was still baffling her. She instead decided to focus on thinking about what she could actually say to her son to deal with it in a sensitive way so he won't feel attacked.

She stepped in front of her wardrobe to pick out her outfit for the morning when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye; the mirror in the corner of her room. She caught her own reflection in the mirror and for a brief moment didn't recognize her own body. Despite the soreness of her body Eva rushed towards the mirror to check her own reflection.

First most prominent change she noticed was her ass. Eva's powers had always helped with her metabolism and in turn kept her in pretty good shape despite her pregnancy. Yet almost overnight Eva noticed her ass looked fat. She was already self conscious about her body after having given birth to Erik but now seeing her own reflection it suddenly flared up. It felt like she had gained some weight on her ass and stomach overnight. How was that even possible? Was this because of the choker? Some sort of side effect of those nano bots?

Had they been programmed to affect her appearance in some way? Or was this some weird psychosomatic reaction triggered by witnessing her own son watching her have sex? Eva's heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to calm down. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She would deal with this later. Right now, she had to address the elephant in the room -- Erik.

Feeling very body conscious Eva turned to her wardrobe and picked clothes she had rarely worn recently. She told herself that she was wearing a baggy sweatpants and a hoodie to keep the conversation between her and her son completely distraction free for him yet it was more about hiding her body and feel more at ease.

While putting on a bra Eva felt sudden soreness under her boobs which also felt heavier more than usual; not to mention a slight pain at the tip of her nipples. Slightly worried she started to examine them. When she gently pressed on her nipple she felt a sudden release of pressure only to realize with some shock that her breast just squirted some milk right onto the mirror. What the hell was going on? She definitely wasn't pregnant so this was most certainly some side effect of the choker. She would have to talk to Jax and figure it out soon.

Eva gathered her strength and left her bedroom, preparing herself for the difficult conversation ahead. She found Erik sitting on the couch, engrossed in his phone. He looked up at her, his expression guarded.

"Hey, Mom" he murmured, his voice laced with tension. Eva hesitated for a moment, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. "Can we talk?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Erik nodded, his gaze wavering between her and the wall. "Sure," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. Eva took a deep breath, her palms sweating.

"I know it isn't easy to bring topics like these up," she began, forcing herself to remain composed. "But what you saw yesterday shouldn't define our relationship." Erik remained silent waiting for Eva to finish her thoughts; though it was more out of embarrassment about the topic being discussed.

Eva continued speaking, choosing her words carefully. "I understand that you might be feeling uncomfortable about what you saw, but I want you to know that adults sometimes engage in intimate activities. It doesn't mean that I don't care about you or our relationship." Erik shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze darting nervously around the room. "It's just...weird," he muttered, his voice cracking. "Yeah, it's weird," Eva agreed, attempting to lighten the mood.

"We should probably establish some rules regarding privacy. I hope you can respect that, Erik." Erik nodded reluctantly, his gaze still locked on the floor. "I can try," he whispered, his voice trembling. Eva sighed, reaching out to rest her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Erik," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "I appreciate your understanding."

Eva was glad things seem to be improving between her and Erik but she couldn't help but feel guilty about what transpired yesterday. After all it was her fault that Erik had to witness such a private moment. If she hadn't been foolish enough to keep the door to her bedroom unlocked then none of this would have happened.

Eva tried to convince herself that everything was fine now that she had confronted Erik and they talked through the incident. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. Erik seemed distant and preoccupied. It was clear that he was still struggling to process what he had seen.

Eva had struggled to understand why Erik would even want to witness such a thing in the first place despite her room being unlocked. She debated whether it was better to leave that question unanswered or just come right out and ask Erik about it.

Unable to keep her own mind at bay Eva blurted out what was on her mind "Erik honey? Why did you even come to my room last night? I mean I'm sure I wasn't exactly quiet in there and I'm really sorry you had to hear all that but..... what I don't get is why did you peek through the door?"

Now Erik seemed even redder in the face than ever as he evaded meeting Eva's eyes by looking at his feet. Eva had to push him a bit "Erik? Tell me please." Then finally after a very long awkward pause where Eva could hear her son's heartbeat ramp up as he tried to figure out how to phrase his answer. But the heartbeats had a slight irregularity to it which over the years Eva had come to recognize as one where the person was lying.

Erik looked at her hands placed on her lap as he answered; clearly lying about whatever he actually was thinking "ummm I don't know mom..... I guess you were pretty loud and..... I guess.... Ummm.... I was worried you weren't safe? Ummm you know.... With him...."

Eva looked at him with slight frown knowing he was lying about why he had peeked but unwilling to call him out on his lie. Then she asked him "me being with Jax you mean? Honey.... You know I'm kinda dating Jax right? So it's natural for couples to spend.... Ummm..... time alone together like that. Why did you think I wasn't safe? Are you telling me the truth?"

Guilt was clear on Erik's face yet he doubled down on his lie which she could tell by his heartbeats. Erik said "yeah that was it, mom. I don't exactly trust the guy.... I don't know what you see in him but I guess if you like him I'm okay to put up with him. But last night I really thought you weren't doing well.... Ummm.... With how loud you were.... Ummmm.... Screaming?"

This time it was Eva's turn to go deep shade of red when Erik mentioned her screams of pleasure. Obviously Erik knew she wasn't screaming out of pain; he wasn't a child! So naturally him blaming Jax on top of his lying about peeking in her bedroom last night finally pissed Eva off.

In a much stern voice Eva spoke to Erik for the first time in years "Erik.... Jax may not be the greatest of guys but I trust him enough to have him in my life. I don't expect you to trust him but I don't appreciate you talking this way about him. He hasn't treated me in a bad way ever. So I don't know why you are making things up about me being in trouble."

Erik was shocked to hear his mother scold him like that but he didn't raise his head to meet her gaze. Instead he quietly responded "okay mom. I won't do it again. Can we drop all this now?" Relieved to hear her son agree to her terms Eva replied "yes honey.... Let's drop it here. Just remember we both need to give each other space." Erik agreed reluctantly as he stared at his phone absentmindedly.

Eva quickly ushered Erik to the kitchen where they ate breakfast together without saying another word. Eva knew in her head that what Erik did was wrong for any adult regardless of what the motivations behind his actions might be. So it was unacceptable for him to spy on his own mother having sex. Yet deep down Eva felt a slight flutter in her heart at the possibility of her own son finding her body attractive. It was a very weird idea to pop in her head but she couldn't help linger on it for a few more minutes not knowing how she felt about it if Erik indeed was spying on her because he felt some sort of attraction towards her body.

The uneasy silence between them was palpable, but neither of them wanted to break it. Eva, meanwhile, was lost in her thoughts, trying to make sense of the events of the past few days. She was determined to regain control of her life and protect Erik from any further harm.

As Eva did the dishes Erik was sliding out of his chair hoping to avoid any further incident with his mom that would result in him being scolded again. It proved to be in vain as Eva said to him "Honey.... Now I hope last night's incident wouldn't happen again? Also I was talking to Jax and he suggested you come work at the club part time till you find something you wanna do. What do you think about that?"

Erik's face went pale white at the idea of working for Jax even if it was just part time. He instantly protested "No way I'm working for that Jerk!" But Erik instantly regretted his words when he saw anger flare in his mother's eyes.

Eva spoke in a slow and dangerous voice "Erik I told you to be respectful.... Jax messes with you sometimes but he is a good guy under all that. He has had a rough childhood so he isn't exactly refined but he is still a good man at heart. I won't tell you again.... You better not insult him in front of me again." Erik cowered in front of his mother's furious gaze and quickly nodded.

Then in a squeaky voice he started "ummm I understand mom. And about the job thing.... I kinda already got an offer. I was going to tell you when it actually went through but...." Instantly the mood of the room shifted as a bright smile pleated on Eva's face hearing the news.

She asked him cheerfully "really?! Honey that's great news? What's this job then?" Erik smiled not being able to withstand reflecting his mother's cheerfulness as he told her "it kinda happened suddenly. You know you friend Cindy? She needed some help with tech stuff and I helped her out.... Which got her a breakthrough in some case she was working on so her boss offered me an internship at their news studio."

Hearing Cindy's name Eva's smile quickly disappeared and clear concern in her voice she asked him "what's this job exactly? I don't think working with Cindy is a good idea.... I know her, sweetie.... She gets in a lot of trouble in her line of work...." When Eva said that she wasn't thinking about Cindy's job as a journalist but her secret identity as a super-heroine even if she had retired just like Eva.

Erik noticed Eva's lack of enthusiasm and started to quickly explain "well it's just an internship mom.... No big deal. I'll just help them out with tech stuff.... Cameras and microphones.... That kinda stuff! I won't be in danger!"

Erik was desperately trying to convince his mom just so he won't have to take the alternative of working for Jax. But Eva's mind was already made up the moment Cindy's name was uttered.

Eva said in a distant and cold voice "Erik.... I don't like this at all and I don't want you to take that job. You will come to the club after lunch today and meet Jax. He will make sure you learn the ropes quickly. Understood?"

This time Erik wasn't so understanding as he rebelled against her words "what the hell mom?! I don't like the guy for one thing but more importantly this thing with Cindy is a real job! You could get in danger just walking down some street in this city! How's that any less dangerous than working in a news studio? I won't even be out there!"

Eva looked furious as she checked her watch knowing she was getting late for her work at the club. She decided to be brief and blunt "I have told you what I want Erik. Now.... If you still want that job then I can't stop you. You are an adult but you can't stay in my house if you do that. So either you show up at the club tonight or you better be packed ready to leave by tomorrow morning." Then without another word Eva went to her bedroom to get ready for her work; slamming the door behind her loudly.

It was still pretty early for her to go to the club for work but Eva just wanted to get out of the apartment after her heated talk with Erik. Giving him the ultimatum to move out of her apartment was the last thing she wanted to do but Jax's words seemed to have a greater impact on her decisions nowadays than she had realized.

Instead of heading to work early she decided to go visit her hideout where she had stashed Lana. She did her usual routine to circle around the block a couple of times to make sure no one was following her or no one has been keeping a watch on the entry of her hideout. When she was absolutely certain of it she parked her car and slipped in through the well hidden trap door in the abandoned warehouse. The moment she went down there Lana came into view with slightly worried expression on her face but when she saw it was just Eva coming down to visit her she relaxed visibly before hugging her.

As usual Eva helped Lana train her powers which Lana had gotten a better handle on. She could now project visions onto a person's mind making them lose themselves in that altered reality she would create for them. It was sort of illusion and someone like Eva with all her abilities could easily push past it so Lana was a long way away from perfecting her abilities for now. However that didn't stop Lana from accidentally getting inside Eva's mind only to witness her heated argument with Erik along with some flashes of Eva's night with Jax from Eva's perspective; Jax thrusting into her on top of her.

Eva quickly pushed Lana out of her mind but it was already too late. Lana apologized repeatedly as Eva waved it off; slightly embarrassed. After they had tired themselves out with the training Lana asked Eva how long should she be holed up in the hideout. Eva had known this would come up sooner or later after having kept Lana in her hideout for almost a week now. Lana would be isolated down here besides the visits from Eva and soon enough she would start to feel lonely; not to mention her strong drive to find her family was still bubbling under the surface for Lana.

In a calm and caring way Eva started to explain "I know you must be going crazy cooped up down here honey.... But you realize I had to make sure you were safe right? Anyway.... About you getting out of here.... First off you can't go back to any place where they can connect to your old life.... They might be watching your house to see if you return there. That would be bad. So I think if you want you can come live with me for a while.... You don't have to worry about anything and then when you feel ready you can leave whenever. How does that sound?"

Lana and Eva had talked about many things over the last few training sessions which had also included Jax and Eva's son, Erik. So naturally Lana asked "wouldn't that be weird? I mean you already live with your son and your boyfriend visits like you said.... Won't that be too crowded?"

Eva thought about it for a moment before saying dismissively "it's not gonna be an issue.... I can ask Jax not to visit for a while or I can go visit him at his place sometimes..... as for Erik... he can take the couch till you are with us. He really won't mind.... He is a sweet kid!" Eva said that last bit and paused as the vivid images of her "sweet kid" perving on her having sex came to her mind.

Then she pushed those out of her head and insisted "I'm sure of it so don't worry about a thing, Lana. How about you be ready tomorrow morning... on my way back home from work I'll come pick you up and I'll take you to my apartment."

It didn't take long for Eva to convince Lana despite her reluctance to be a burden on Eva. Eva knew she must be going crazy living down here plus the psychological stress she must have gone through when she was abducted from her home must still be fresh in her mind. Lana would need to be around people she could trust before she could start her new life again peacefully if she chose to do so.

It was practically dark outside when Eva entered the gentleman's club where she worked. As she walked in, she spotted Jax chatting up one of the other girls at the bar; his hand firmly planted on the girls plumb ass. She immediately approached him, her anger boiling over. She was already pissed from her conversation with her son and was worried she may have acted rashly by giving him an ultimatum to either work at the club or leave her apartment. She didn't know what her son might pick but hoped he would pick being close to her.

Seeing Jax practically fondle a young woman's ass like that at the bar triggered Eva's own self consciousness about her ass having become slightly fat overnight. She knew it had something to do with the choker having malfunctioned in some way but she couldn't help blame Jax for it all.

Eva practically stomped towards Jax and he noticed her just in time to turn and greet her cheerfully in his usual seedy manner "there's my favorite girl!" Yet one look at her face and Jax's expressions changed to a more serious one; his hand however stayed on the young woman's toned ass.

"What's wrong, babe?" Jax asked, noticing the storm brewing in Eva's eyes. His tone was soft, but his grip on the girl's ass tightened slightly. Eva gritted her teeth, her anger growing. "Can you spare me a minute?" she snapped, gesturing toward the office behind the bar. Jax nodded curtly, dismissing the girl with a wink.