Under the Cursed Moon - CH - 89

The Cullen household was quiet, but not peacefully so.

Snow drifted slowly outside the wide windows, coating the pines beyond the glass with a perfect, silvery hush. Inside, the air was thick with a different kind of stillness—one formed not by nature, but by years of practice, control, and the weight of a decision too familiar, yet harder than ever before.

In the living room, they had gathered.

Carlisle stood by the unlit fireplace, hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm but grim.

Esme sat curled on the couch beside Alice, her hand wrapped tightly around her daughter’s. Edward and Bella leaned against the far wall, with Emmett pacing and Rosalie seated, arms crossed and tense.

And in the center, the question hung like storm clouds waiting to break.

“It's time,” Carlisle said gently. “We can’t delay it much longer.”

Edward was the first to speak. “The rumors are starting again. The receptionist at the clinic asked why I wasn’t in college already. She thinks I’m repeating a gap year—again.”

Rosalie snorted. “It’s the same everywhere. I heard three women at the grocery store talking about Emmett. Something about how he’s too old to be ‘just graduating’ this spring.”

“Tell them I’m twenty-three,” Emmett said with a shrug, but the smile he wore didn’t reach his eyes.

Alice leaned forward. “We’ve done this dozens of times. We always move. We start over. It’s never been a problem.”

“It is this time,” Bella said softly.

All eyes turned to her.

Bella’s gaze fell to the floor. “We have roots now. Friends. The Blacks, the shape-shifters, even the humans at the hospital. We’re not just ghosts passing through anymore.”

“Not to mention,” Edward added, “there’s the issue of college. People expect it. They expect us to leave for it. But Forks has no university. Seattle is the only logical option, and it gets far too much sun this time of year.”

“Couldn’t we just... skip college?” Emmett asked.

Alice sighed. “Not without looking suspicious. People here are starting to notice that we never age. It’s getting harder to explain.”

“We need to consider the long-term safety of our family,” Carlisle said firmly. “And of those we associate with.”

Bella’s jaw tensed. “You mean Renesmee.”

“She’s part of the equation,” Carlisle said. “But not the only one.”

Esme finally spoke. “I don’t want to leave. Not again.”

Carlisle turned to her, his expression softening. “I know.”

“We’ve built something here,” she whispered. “Friends. Neighbors. And I’ve been helping with the town’s preservation council. It feels... real.”

Edward’s voice was low, unreadable. “We can’t stay real for long.”

A silence fell.

It was Alice who broke it. “If we go, we go soon. Before people notice the delay.”

“Where?” Rosalie asked.

“We’ve narrowed down a few options,” Carlisle replied. “Northern Canada. Parts of Scandinavia. Places where sun is rare and high schools are small.”

“What about Renesmee?” Bella asked. “What about her life?”

Edward glanced at her. “She’ll go with us, of course.”

But the way Bella looked toward the window said otherwise.

“Maybe,” Alice said slowly, “this time... not all of us need to leave at once.”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“What do you mean?” Rosalie asked.

“I mean,” Alice said, “maybe a few of us leave. The rest stay and manage the attention. Travel more. Lay low. Stretch our presence just a little longer.”

Carlisle looked thoughtful.

“That’s never been our way.”

Alice raised an eyebrow. “Neither has having allies.”

Edward slowly nodded. “She’s right. We have friends now. The Blacks. The shifters. Teddy.”

“And Harry,” Emmett muttered. “Can’t forget Harry.”

There was a collective pause. No one could forget Harry.

“Maybe it’s time we stop pretending we’re completely alone,” Bella said quietly.

Carlisle looked at his family. At their faces, so familiar and eternal, yet strained with the gravity of choice.

“We’ll think on it,” he said at last. “But the world is watching closer now. And we have to decide—do we move like we always have? Or do we finally stay... and adapt?”

No one had the answer.

But they all knew—their time in Forks was no longer as invisible as it once had been.


Snow whispered against the windows, and wind pushed through the evergreens like soft voices of the past—voices that echoed too clearly in Bella Cullen’s heart. She sat curled on the edge of the reading room's wide bay window, staring down at the slush-covered driveway, arms folded, her brow creased with thought.

This house. This town. This life.

She had died and been reborn.

Charlie still lived less than twenty minutes away. And even though she could no longer hug him fiercely or eat dinner at his kitchen table, she could still see him. Talk to him, Laugh with him.

And then there were the Blacks. Harry, Hermione, Leah, Teddy... and Renesmee’s world, which was intertwined with theirs in ways Bella could no longer separate.

She pressed her forehead gently to the cold windowpane.

“It’s not just about hiding anymore,” she whispered to herself.

A knock came at the door. It was soft, almost hesitant.

“Come in,” she said.

Edward entered, carrying two closed books and a quiet look. He placed the books down without comment and sat beside her.

“You’re thinking about staying,” he said, not as a question.

Bella didn’t answer for a moment. “I’ve never loved anywhere like here.”

“I know.”

“I always thought I’d leave Forks eventually. Back when I was human.” She smiled faintly. “College. Life. Something far away. But now that the moment’s actually here... I don’t want to go.”

Edward placed his hand over hers.

“You’re not the only one,” he said gently.

Bella turned her gaze toward the distant treeline. “Renesmee’s been quiet about it, but she’s miserable. She hasn’t said it out loud, but I know. It’s Teddy.”

“She doesn’t want to leave him,” Edward murmured.

“She can’t. He’s her anchor.”

“And she’s not just a child anymore.”

Bella nodded. “Teddy is more than we expected. Stronger. Older inside. He understands her.”

“If we asked Harry,” Bella said slowly, “he might help. A magical solution. Something to shield us. Slow aging, blur appearances. I don’t know. Something.”

Edward sighed. “We could. But we shouldn’t depend on him for everything.”

Bella’s voice was quiet. “I know.”

“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “What if Renesmee stays?”

Bella blinked. “With who?”

“With Harry and Hermione,” Edward replied. “Temporarily. If they agree. It would break her heart to leave Teddy. But if we go north for a while, get a foothold... maybe she can join us later.”

Bella stared at him. “I don’t want to be apart from her.”

“Neither do I,” he said. “But I want her to be happy more than anything.”

She looked back outside. The snow had slowed, but the world still glowed white and cold. A town frozen in time. A life on the edge of change.

“They’re talking about Alaska,” she said after a long pause. “The Denali clan. I know they’ll help.”

“They will,” Edward agreed.

Bella rested her head on his shoulder.

“But Forks... was my beginning,” she whispered. “And I don’t know how to say goodbye to it.”

Edward kissed the top of her head.

“Then maybe... we don’t say goodbye yet.”


The silver Volvo hummed steadily along the forest road, winding through the misty pines of Forks. In the front seat, Edward kept his eyes on the path ahead, his jaw tense with unspoken thoughts. Bella sat quietly beside him, her hand resting over Renesmee’s, who sat in the back seat, unusually silent.

They were on their way to Black Mansion, seeking not permission, but reassurance.

As they pulled into the long stone driveway, the vast estate came into view. The mansion stood elegant and still under the pale sunless sky. A familiar scent—magic, earth, sea air—wrapped around the grounds.

Renesmee was the first to spot them. “Teddy’s home,” she whispered.

They were greeted at the door by Hermione, who smiled warmly and led them inside. Harry was just coming down the stairs, barefoot, with a half-peeled orange in his hand. Leah Clearwater was at the window, lazily reading a book. And Lysara, the newest and strangest of guests, sat perched in a corner chair, silent but watchful.

Harry raised his brows. “Look who the fog blew in.”

Edward offered a nod. “We were hoping to speak with you. Privately.”

Harry looked over at Teddy and Renesmee. “You two—beach time. Try not to bring back an entire sand dune this time.”

Renesmee grinned and tugged Teddy’s sleeve. “Race you.”

“You’re on,” Teddy grinned, and the two disappeared out the back patio.

Harry led Edward and Bella to the quiet room at the rear of the mansion, where the window overlooked the shore. Hermione followed, casting a quick charm to muffle outside sounds.

Edward was direct. “We’re thinking of leaving Forks.”

Harry blinked, then smiled. “Well, I figured it would come eventually.”

Bella’s shoulders dropped. “We don’t want to go. But it’s getting harder to stay.”

Hermione sat down across from them, folding her hands on her lap. “Too many questions from the town?”

Edward nodded. “People are starting to notice. We’ve stayed too long.”

Harry leaned back in his chair, eyes thoughtful. “I’m actually happy for you.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “Happy?”

“You’re moving forward,” Harry said simply. “It’s good. You’re living—changing. Not stuck in place.”

“But what about Renesmee?” Bella asked. “She doesn’t want to leave Teddy.”

Harry looked toward the beach, where the two children were now skipping stones. “They’re closer than most friends I’ve seen. But Bella—Edward—this is where I step in.”

He looked them both in the eye.

“You’re forgetting I’m a wizard.”

Edward gave a small smile. “We didn’t want to assume.”

“You should,” Harry said firmly. “You’re family.”

He stood up and walked over to a shelf, pulling out a wooden case the size of a shoebox. When he opened it, it revealed a set of shining stones, runes etched in silver.

“I’ll build a Floo Network gate. One for your new home, and one here at the mansion. You can step through anytime. No distance between us. Just fire and a name.”

Bella blinked. “So... it’s like a magical portal?”

Harry grinned. “Exactly. A fireplace teleportation system, if you want the Muggle version.”

Hermione laughed softly. “And don’t worry about wear and tear. We’ve made plenty of them. It’s safe for vampires, shapeshifters, humans, even hyperactive magical kids.”

Edward sat back, processing. “So, no goodbyes.”

“Nope,” Harry said. “Just see-you-soons.”

“And if I want to visit my dad?”

Harry held up a second rune-stone. “You’ll step through to Forks, walk five minutes, and you’re at the Chief’s door.”

Bella let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“You don’t need to be neighbors to stay family,” Harry added. “Not with us.”

Edward looked over at Hermione. “Thank you.”

Hermione smiled. “You’re welcome. And if Alaska ends up too cold, you always have a warm fire waiting here.”


The wind curled around the coastline like a sigh. The waves rolled lazily onto the dark sands of Forks’ hidden beach, where Teddy and Renesmee sat near the scattered driftwood towers they had built together, side by side, just like always.

Teddy tossed a smooth stone into the surf. It skipped once, twice—then sank.

Renesmee stared after it, hugging her knees to her chest. Her curls danced in the breeze, but her eyes were distant, unfocused.

Teddy noticed.

She was smiling. Laughing sometimes. But her laughter was like glass—bright, hollow, and fragile. And Teddy had seen her smile too many times in his life to be fooled.

He didn’t ask right away. He let the silence sit with them, shared and soft.

But then, softly, he said, “You’re not happy.”

Renesmee didn’t look at him. “I’m fine.”

Teddy gave her a long look, then repeated gently, “You’re not happy.”

She turned away, picking up a shell, brushing the sand off its ridges. “You always know, don’t you?”

“You don’t cry. You go quiet. You try not to blink too much. And your nose scrunches weird when you fake-laugh.”

That got a smile—barely.

A beat passed.

Then she said it, eyes on the sea.

“We’re moving.”

Teddy blinked. “What?”

“Somewhere far. Like Alaska.”

“What do you mean moving?”

“It’s getting hard to stay. People are talking. We’re supposed to go soon.”

Teddy’s heart sank. “You’re leaving?”

She finally looked at him. “It’s not like I want to.”

“But... but you can’t. You’re—” he scrambled for the right words. “You’re you. You’re here.”

She stood up suddenly, brushing sand from her jeans. “You’ve got other people now. You and Lysara are always off doing secret things.”

Teddy stood too, shocked. “What? Lysara’s just—she’s a friend. I—Renesmee, you know that’s not the same.”

Renesmee crossed her arms. “You showed her our places.”

Teddy frowned. “Because I wanted her to feel like she belonged! She doesn’t have anyone! But you—” his voice caught. “You’re my best friend. You’re like half of me.”

Her lip trembled, but she didn’t speak.

“I won’t let them take you,” Teddy said, suddenly fierce. “You’re not like the others. You can be in the sun. People don’t stare at you. You’re real—you go to town, you eat stuff, you go to the library and laugh at weird magazines. They don’t have to hide you.”

She looked down.

“I’m going to talk to your parents,” Teddy said. “And to my parents too. Maybe... maybe you can stay. Just for a while. With us.”

Her head snapped up. “What if they say no?”

“Then I’ll convince them. Or—I’ll come with you. But I’ll try this first.”

Without waiting another second, Teddy grabbed her hand and ran toward the mansion.

The cold sand slipped beneath their feet as they climbed the grassy slope toward the back porch. Renesmee’s cheeks were flushed from the wind and emotion, and Teddy’s grip on her hand was warm and solid.

Inside, Harry was in the drawing room, sitting cross-legged on the carpet floor, enchanting a chessboard to play itself while Leah barked at it from the sofa. Hermione was fixing a kettle in the kitchen. Lyzara was nowhere in sight.

Harry looked up just in time to see the two kids burst through the door.

“Teddy?”

“We need to talk!” Teddy said breathlessly. “Now.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Alright. Hermione, love, pause that tea. It’s about to be serious.”

Renesmee hovered behind Teddy, nervous but determined.