Under the Cursed Moon - CH - 72

The news of the Volturi’s imminent arrival spread like wildfire among the vampires. The weight of what was coming settled over them like a storm cloud, dark and foreboding. Every vampire in the Cullen household knew the stakes: without witnesses to testify that no laws had been broken, the Volturi would not hesitate to execute them all under the guise of maintaining order. They would claim that an immortal child had been created, a crime punishable by death. And once the Volturi set their sights on someone, the verdict was almost always the same—annihilation.

Even with Harry’s assurance that he would personally deal with the Volturi, Carlisle Cullen was not a man to leave anything to chance. He had lived nearly four centuries, longer than most of his kind, and had seen firsthand how the Volturi wielded their power. As a former member of their guard, he knew how they operated—their strategies, their ruthlessness, and their unshakable belief in their own authority. He also knew how they justified their actions, framing their executions as necessary for the preservation of vampire law when, in truth, they often acted out of self-interest, eliminating threats before they could rise against them.

Determined to counter their influence, Carlisle set into motion a desperate plan. He sent his coven mates across the world, each assigned to seek out old acquaintances and allies, convincing them to stand as witnesses. It was a daunting task—most vampires avoided the Volturi at all costs, unwilling to involve themselves in a confrontation with the ruling body of their kind. But Carlisle had built connections over centuries, friendships that, though tenuous, might be strong enough to hold in the face of this crisis.

Esme, his ever-loyal wife, reached out to those with whom they had shared peaceful coexistence over the decades. Rosalie and Emmett traveled north, seeking the Denali coven, their closest allies, whose loyalty had always been steadfast. Alice and Jasper moved quickly, their path guided by Alice’s visions, searching for nomadic vampires who might be convinced to bear witness. Even Edward and Bella ventured into unfamiliar territories, hoping to appeal to those who lived on the fringes of vampire society, those who would understand the importance of standing against the tyranny of the Volturi.

Meanwhile, Carlisle maintained contact with every lead they had. He wrote letters, sent messages, and used every diplomatic skill he had honed over the centuries. He was not naïve—he knew that many of those he reached out to would refuse. Fear of the Volturi ran deep, and few would risk their own lives to stand in opposition. But if even a handful of them agreed, it could make the difference between survival and extinction.

In the midst of this, the Cullen household became a place of constant activity. Visitors arrived sporadically, some expressing cautious willingness to help, others departing without a word after hearing what was at stake. The tension was palpable, the air heavy with uncertainty.

And through it all, Harry watched in silence. He saw their desperation, their frantic efforts to gather allies. He understood their fear, even though he did not share it. The Volturi were powerful, yes, but he had faced worse. He had stood against ancient forces, against things far more terrifying than a coven of self-proclaimed rulers. Yet, he did not interfere with Carlisle’s preparations. He let them make their plans, let them seek their witnesses—because in the end, he knew that when the time came, it would not be words or witnesses that decided the outcome. It would be power.

And he had power in abundance.

With every passing day, more vampires arrived in Forks, drawn by Carlisle’s call for witnesses. Some came reluctantly, fearing the Volturi but unwilling to ignore a request from an old acquaintance. Others arrived out of curiosity, eager to see firsthand the child at the center of this looming conflict. But not all who came were like the Cullens—vegetarian vampires who survived on animal blood. Many were true predators, creatures who had long abandoned any attempt to resist their thirst for human blood.

Carlisle knew this would be an issue. Forks was a small town, and the presence of numerous bloodthirsty vampires posed a significant risk to their peaceful existence. If even one of them lost control and fed openly, it would draw human suspicion, and worse, give the Volturi the justification they needed to brand them all as criminals.

To prevent this, Carlisle made careful preparations. As a respected surgeon at the local hospital, he had long-standing access to medical supplies—including blood donations. Though he had never used it for himself, knowing it could not replace the satisfaction of a fresh hunt, he realized it was the best possible solution to keep the human-drinking vampires in check. He discreetly arranged for a supply of donated blood to be brought to the Cullens' home, ensuring that their guests would not need to hunt in Forks or surrounding areas.

"This is the best we can offer," Carlisle explained one evening as he and Esme set up refrigerated storage for the blood bags. "It won’t be as satisfying as fresh blood, but it will be enough to keep them from hunting here."

Esme nodded, glancing toward the clearing where more vampires continued to arrive. "Do you think they’ll accept it?" she asked softly.

"Some will," Carlisle admitted. "But there are always those who won’t settle for anything less than the thrill of the hunt. We’ll have to keep a close watch on them."

Meanwhile, Harry chose to distance himself from the Cullens' home. Though Carlisle and his family had no difficulty accepting him and his presence, the same could not be said for the others. To the new arrivals, Harry and his family looked unmistakably human—a stark contrast to the ethereal beauty of vampires. If any of them were to ask why a group of humans lived among them so casually, it would raise too many questions.

The Cullens were already under scrutiny. The last thing they needed was more complications.

Recognizing this, Harry had taken steps to ensure his family remained unnoticed. He had crafted scent-masking rings—simple yet effective enchantments that concealed their true nature. With these, he, Hermione, Leah, and Teddy no longer carried the distinct scent of wolves, nor did they radiate the overwhelming presence of magic. Instead, to the vampires, they smelled like ordinary humans—fragile, weak, and insignificant.

It was a necessary deception.

While the Cullens welcomed their guests into their home and worked to maintain order, Harry observed from a distance, watching as alliances formed and tensions simmered beneath the surface. He knew that despite Carlisle’s best efforts, the uneasy truce between the different factions would not hold forever.

These vampires were not bound by loyalty or friendship. They were here only for their own reasons—some out of debt to Carlisle, others for curiosity, and a few, perhaps, for the sheer amusement of seeing the Volturi called into question.

But when the time came, when the Volturi finally arrived, Harry knew one truth above all else—none of them would be able to stand against what was coming.

Renesmee paced restlessly inside the Cullen household, her small hands curled into fists, her frustration growing with every passing moment. She was no longer allowed to leave—not even to visit Black Mansion, where she had once spent carefree days playing with Teddy and learning how to surf. Those days felt like a distant memory, swallowed by the suffocating reality of her new existence.

Now, the house was overrun with strangers—vampires from all over the world, each one eager to see her, to study her, to confirm with their own eyes that she was not an immortal child. At first, she had been patient, willing to endure their curiosity for the sake of her family. But patience had its limits.

They watched her constantly.

They wanted to touch her, to test her, to understand what made her different. They whispered about her, marveling at her rapid growth, at her ability to communicate without words. Some were kind, treating her with gentle fascination, while others regarded her with cold calculation, as though she were nothing more than a puzzle to be solved.

To Renesmee, it felt like she was an exhibit in a zoo, paraded around for everyone’s amusement. And she hated it.

She missed Teddy. More than anything, she wanted to see him, to run to Black Mansion and escape this suffocating environment. But she couldn’t. The house was still filled with visitors, and there was no way for her to slip away unnoticed.

Frustration coiled tightly in her chest. She tried to speak to her parents about it, but they were always busy—either discussing strategies with Carlisle or entertaining the guests. Even Jacob, who was never far from her side, was distracted.

Her world had shrunk to the walls of the Cullen house, and she felt like a bird trapped in a gilded cage.

She pressed her face against the window, staring longingly into the forest beyond. The scent of rain hung in the air, the trees swayed in the wind, and somewhere out there, freedom waited. Teddy was waiting.

And she was stuck here.

Renesmee clenched her fists tighter.

She had to find a way out.

Renesmee sat at the kitchen table, her arms crossed and her face set in stubborn defiance. Across from her, Edward stood rigid, his expression carefully neutral, though the tension in his jaw betrayed his frustration. She had made a simple request—to visit Black Mansion, just for a few hours, to see Teddy, to escape the suffocating presence of the countless vampires invading their home.

But Edward had shut her down immediately.

“No, Renesmee.” His voice was calm but firm, the finality in his tone unmistakable.

She clenched her fists. “Why not? I just want to see Teddy! I’ve been trapped here for days. I need some space! You don’t understand—”

Edward cut her off, his golden eyes darkened with concern. “I do understand. But it’s too dangerous.”

Renesmee frowned. “Dangerous? How? You promised I could see him!”

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his bronze hair. He had been reading the minds of the vampires who had come as witnesses, and what he found had disturbed him deeply. Many were spineless, too afraid to stand against the Volturi. Worse, some were already weighing their options, considering switching sides if the Volturi offered them something in return. A few of them weren’t here out of loyalty or justice but rather to assess the situation and see where power would eventually shift.

It was a fragile balance, and one wrong move could shatter it.

“If anyone finds out that we’re secretly meeting with a family that isn’t vampire—” Edward hesitated, choosing his words carefully, “—it will make things even worse for us. Some of them already think we’re hiding something. If they discover that we’ve been interacting with someone outside of our kind, especially humans, it will give the Volturi more leverage against us.”

Renesmee's frustration turned to anger. “Teddy is not just a human! He’s my friend! And you’re saying I can’t even see him because of some vampires who might betray us?”

Edward remained silent, his eyes flickering with something she couldn’t quite read.

Renesmee looked around the room, searching for support. Her mother, Bella, stood near the doorway, her face troubled but not disagreeing with Edward. Jacob was nearby too, shifting uneasily on his feet, clearly torn. He understood Renesmee’s frustration, but he also knew the danger they were facing.

“Please, Daddy,” she tried again, her voice softer now, almost pleading.

Edward exhaled slowly but shook his head. “I’m sorry, Renesmee. We can’t risk it.”

She bit her lip, blinking back angry tears. It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t a prisoner. But that’s exactly how they were treating her.

And then, as if to make matters worse, the news arrived.

Late that night, one of the visiting vampires—a nomad who had remained distant from the others—had tried to flee. The Cullens had sensed it happening; Alice had seen glimpses of it in her visions, but by the time anyone could act, it was already too late.

The runner had been caught.

And not by the Cullens.

One of the witnesses, an unfamiliar vampire from the south, had intercepted them before they could vanish into the night. The word spread quickly among the gathered vampires, and an unsettling tension settled over the forest.

It was a rare thing for so many vampires to gather in one place—an event that had not happened in centuries. It was an opportunity for alliances to be made, for old grudges to be rekindled, for silent battles of dominance to be played out. And now, with one of them caught attempting to escape, the atmosphere turned even more unpredictable.

Renesmee overheard the hushed discussions among her family members. No one knew what the captured vampire had planned to do—had they simply wanted to leave, or had they intended to warn the Volturi? Would they be interrogated? Would they be killed?

She swallowed hard, suddenly understanding why Edward had refused to let her leave.

The situation was worse than she had thought.

And now, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to leave again.