The summer after I graduated high school, my parents promised to take me on vacation to Tide Coast.
Every summer, during the full moon, a stretch of the coast was opened for a night run. It was a rite of passage. The first time a young werewolf joined the run as an adult, their family would add their name to the public roster.
It wasn’t just a trip. It was a declaration to the entire pack of who the family acknowledged as one of their own.
I packed a month in advance.
Swimsuits, sunscreen, my camera, and the detailed itinerary I’d made for everyone.
The night before we were supposed to leave, my sister, Bella, announced she wanted Stefan to come with us.
Bella’s shift had always been unstable. Stefan was a trainee warrior from Cedar Ridge and her safety partner in youth training.
My father looked over the flight tickets and hotel reservations, his brow furrowed.
“We don’t have enough rooms.”
I thought they would just book another one.
A second later, Mom plucked my territory ID from my hand. Without it, I couldn’t get through the airport’s border check.
“Paloma, you’re staying home.”
“Bella just agreed to resume her training,” she continued. “This is her first full moon run at the coast, and Stefan needs to be there with her.”
My brother, Tony, picked up my suitcase and shoved it toward Bella’s feet.
“She’s already packed. You can use her things.”
I looked at Stefan.
He’d once promised to take me to see the ocean after graduation, to run my first adult moonlit race beside me.
But now, all he did was take the suitcase from Bella.
“Bella’s wolf still isn’t stable.”
“She could lose control and shift if she gets anxious,” he said, avoiding my eyes. “You being there will only make her more tense.”
“Just let her relax this time.”
Bella’s eyes were red, her voice trembling as she played her part.
“Paloma, for once I just want a real family trip for the full moon.”
By real, she meant one without me.
My phone kept lighting up with airline reminders.
Three hours until boarding.
I stood in the foyer, watching my suitcase get pushed farther away. The muscles in the back of my neck coiled, but the wolf inside me didn’t stir, didn’t urge me to fight.
They would put Bella and Stefan’s names on the roster.
My place would be erased.
In that moment, I understood with perfect, chilling clarity. In the Lombardi family, in the hierarchy of the Cedar Ridge pack, I was always the one who could be cut.
I hadn’t even left for the airport, and suddenly, I never wanted to see Tide Coast.
My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 24 “That’s right. She was the one throwing a tantrum.” “We were going to have her live with us after we got back.” People in the comments immediately asked: “If she was going to live with you, why do the chat records say she was
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 23 The project director did not let me respond in person. Ten minutes later, the ethics committee issued a short statement. It contained only the application time, the recusal time, and the evaluation schedule. Bella had submitted her application after midnight. The moment I received
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 22 And finally, the messages Stefan had sent over the past three years, from one new number after another. From “When are you coming home” to “I just want to see you once.” Every time he was blocked, a new number would soon appear. The
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 21 Carter attended by remote link. The registrar asked him, “When Paloma signed, was she threatened or induced in any way?” “No,” Mr. Carter answered immediately. “I even reminded her that she could speak with her family first.” “She understood exactly what the transfer meant
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 20 On the day of the hearing, I brought only a single folder. My father’s side, meanwhile, was crowded. My mother, Tony, and Stefan had all come. Bella was absent, as she was undergoing her preliminary evaluation. The registrar presiding over the hearing first verified
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 19 “Only your project can help her now.” I didn’t stop walking. The project director came from the other side of the hall and blocked her path. “Mrs. Lombardi, Paloma has recused herself according to procedure.” “Another treatment team will complete the evaluation.” My father’s
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 18 Email sent. I shut off the screen and didn’t look back. The next morning, just as I entered the lab, Lena handed me a visitor registration form. “Bella arrived early.” “And the people from last night came with her.” I glanced over the form.
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 17 She rolled down the window. “Paloma, who were those people?” “Strangers.” I opened the door and got in. The car pulled away from the hotel. In the rearview mirror, Stefan still stood on the steps, motionless. At his feet was a bouquet of flowers
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 16 His eyes were red, his voice dropping lower. I looked at the tin without emotion. “Stefan.” “Do you remember what you said to me before the Tide Coast trip?” He froze. I told him clearly, “You told me to be mature.” “And later, I
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 15 “We know we were wrong.” “Can you forgive us?” “Come home with us.” Tony stepped forward, too. “Paloma, I treated you terribly.” “Bella’s abroad for an exchange program now. She won’t bother you anymore.” “Come back.” “From now on, whatever you say goes.” My
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