𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"How much longer do you think we have?" Scott asks as we stand in the kitchen.

"I wish I knew" Deaton shrugs "But, if we don't figure out something soon, we're going to need to find a better place to keep him"

"I think we're grossly underestimating the danger here" The man continues "He might be paralyzed, but it still feels like he's got us right in the palm of his hand"

I leave Deaton, Lydia and Scott in the kitchen to join my mother in the living room who is cleaning the wound on Stiles' stomach.

"Here, let me" I offer, holding my hand out to her.

She hesitates before handing me the bandage she's about to put on and standing up, letting me sit down in her seat. My mom puts her hands on my shoulders and leans down, pecking my temple.

"Don't trust him" She whispers in my ear.

I nod up at her and watch as she walks over to the others before turning back to Void who watches me intensely. Trying to ignore his gaze, I start bandaging his stomach like my mother has taught me to.

My attention is shifted when I notice his hand shakily reach for mine, as if he's using all his strength just to grab me and I let him.

He loosely holds my hand in his own and I watch closely as his trembling hands toy with my fingers, just like Stiles does when he's nervous.

"Stiles?" I breathe out hopefully but he doesn't reply, he just looks down at me through watery eyes.

I peel off the tape on his mouth and his nervous facade crumbles quickly, a wide smirk curling at his lips. My hope is shot to shit and he seems smug about it as he menacingly raises his brows.

"Wanna know a secret, gorgeous?" He asks me playfully and I hesitate before nodding softly "He loves you...Stiles does. A lot, actually"

"You're lying" I frown.

"Now, why would I lie?" He grins in amusement "I have no reason to lie to you, Natalia"

"You're playing with my feelings. This is a game to you" I scoff, making a move to stand up but Void's grip on my hand tightens.

"I'm inside his head. I know how he feels about everything, and you, he feels strongly about you. Deeply" Void explains and my heartbeat speeds up "Why do you think I've been keeping you so close? You're more than just a pretty face, Natalia. You're leverage"

"Go to hell" I hiss angrily.

I snatch my hand from his grip and place the tape back over his mouth, causing him to glare at me. Without another word, I storm away from the nogitsune and into the kitchen.

"What did he say to you?" Scott asks me in concern.

"It doesn't matter" I shrug, glaring back at the fox possessing Stiles' body and he glares right back.

"But, the scroll said to 'change his body'" Lydia states, bringing my attention to the conversation at hand rather than Void.

"That's if I translated it correctly. We're looking for a cure in something that might actually be nothing more than a proverb or a metaphor" Deaton explains.

"And what if he doesn't want it? He never asked to be a werewolf" Scott stresses to Lydia.

"What if it saves his life?" Lydia counters.

"What if it kills him?" Scott objects "I've never done this before. I mean, what if I bite him and accidentally hit an artery or something?"

"The venom is not going to last long. Something needs to be done sooner than later" Deaton warns us.

"I can try calling Derek again?" Scott offers.

"Maybe we should call someone else" Lydia suggests.

"Ugh, not him" I groan.

❦ ❦ ❦

"He doesn't look like he would survive a slap across the face, much less the bite of a werewolf" Peter declares.

"Hey" I warn him with a glare and he smiles at me sarcastically.

"You don't think it would work?" Scott asks.

"This is more a war of the mind than the body" Peter explains "There are better methods to winning this battle"

"What kind of methods?" Deaton perks up curiously.

Peter grabs Scott's hand and holds it out, Scott's sharp claws on display in front of Void's face.

"We're going to get into his head" Peter answers simply.

I can see the hesitation on my twin brother's face and I gently pull his wrist from Peter's hold, causing him to look at me.

"Can we talk?" I ask and he nods softly so I look at the others "We'll just be a minute"

Scott and I head into the kitchen and I lean back against the island counter top with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" He questions me.

"You don't have to do this, Scotty" I assure him "We can find another way"

"How?" He replies, his voice sounding strained.

"I'll find something. I can look for a spell or a way to help him. I just need my books, okay? Let me go get my-" I'm cut off as Scott grabs my arm, stopping me from going to my room.

"There's no time, Natty" He reminds me and I nod shakily.

"O-Okay" I stutter out, trying to get a hold of myself "Then you need to be sure. You need to believe in yourself because you can do this"

"What if I hurt him?" Scott chokes out and I don't hesitate to pull my brother into a hug.

"You won't hurt him. There's no one that I trust and believe in more than you. You hear me? You are Scott McCall. You are a true alpha. There is nothing that you can't do" I ramble out as he holds me tightly "Don't think about the what ifs. Focus on what you have to do"

"Thank you, witchie" He chuckles breathily.

"You're welcome, wolfie" I shrug, pulling away to smile up at him and he returns the gesture.

"So, do we have a plan?" Deaton speaks up as we enter the living room.

"Scott is going to try and dig through pale and sickly Evil Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly Real Stiles" Peter tells us "Then, guide him back from the depths of his own subconscious...But, he's not going to do it alone"

"What do you mean?" Scott frowns and Peter looks at Lydia before glancing at me.

"Somebody needs to go in with you" The Hale man states.