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 14 My advisor had asked me to present on behalf of our team. The conference hall was filled with healers, researchers, and pack representatives from different territories. I wore a fitted dark suit. Standing onstage, I finished presenting the entire wolf-form recovery project. When I
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 13 I didn’t have to guess. It was Stefan. He had somehow gotten my new number. Every so often, another text would arrive. I didn’t even look twice. I blocked him immediately. Later, I heard the Lombardi family hadn’t been doing well. After I left,
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 12 I was standing onstage, giving a speech, a relaxed and confident smile on my face. Below the poster were the words: “Freshman Student Representative — Paloma Lombardi” And next to that, in smaller print: “Recipient of the Morningwatch Research Council Full Scholarship.” Stefan stood
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 11 Tears fell from Stefan’s eyes, landing on those words. In that moment, he finally understood what he had lost. After returning from Gray Valley, Stefan shut himself in his apartment. He didn’t go out for three days. The others at the warrior academy tried
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 10 “She had that girl working in the backyard before dawn.” “In the dead of winter, she didn’t even have a proper pair of boots.” “She still had to do the laundry outside, by hand.” “The cracks on her hands would barely heal before the
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 09 Stefan called everyone he could think of. He was trying to find out where I was in Gray Harbor. But Morningwatch’s provisional protection blocked every inquiry. “This isn’t working. I need to go to Gray Valley and ask around.” My father couldn’t sit still
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 08 My mother’s face went white. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Mr. Carter paused, then continued. “And she never applied to any of the schools you’re talking about.” “She secured a full scholarship to Gray Harbor University on her own.” “The Morningwatch
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 07 My father frowned. But in the end, he still picked up his phone and made the call. The line rang for a long time before connecting. “Hello, Mr. Lombardi?” The voice on the other end was cool and professional. Dad cleared his throat. “Mr.
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 06 If Paloma had just gone to Gray Harbor, why burn all his letters? Stefan pulled out his phone and dialed my number. “The number you have dialed is no longer in service.” The mechanical voice was cold in his ear. Stefan froze. Then he
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My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 05 The blanket on the bed was folded smooth. Nothing sat on the desk. The wardrobe door hung half open, revealing its empty interior. There wasn’t a single trace left in the room to suggest I was coming back. Stefan’s expression slowly changed. He strode
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