Page 38 of Intrigued By A Highlander

She didn’t head to the spots where the others searched. Ethan wouldn’t go somewhere easy to find—at least, not on purpose. His emotions would have driven him, not logic. He’d run without thinking, and by the time he realized he was lost, it would be too late to turn back.

That meant one thing—he had gone deep.

Dru left the village behind and took the narrow path leading toward the hills, where the land rolled in uneven waves before breaking into dense forest. It was wilder here, the trees thick and the undergrowth tangled. She searched for footprints but found none. The night’s damp air had hardened the ground, hiding his tracks.

She pressed forward, the morning quiet except for the occasional call of a bird and scurrying of small animals. Time stretched, the mist thinning, clouds partying, and the sun peeking through, but still, she found no sign of Ethan.

She climbed a steep incline, pausing at the crest to scan the land below. The woods stretched before her, darker and less tamed than the land around the village. If Ethan had gone this far, he’d be truly lost.

Then, something caught her eye—a disturbance in the tall grass near the edge of the trees. Dru hurried down the slope, her heart pounding. She crouched and ran her fingers over the flattened grass, noting the broken stems. Someone passed through here recently.

Straightening, she let out a slow breath. “Ethan,” she called, her voice carrying through the still air.

Silence.

She took another step forward, her senses prickling. She wasn’t alone out here.

Then, faintly, carried on the breeze, she heard it—a sniffle. A small, choked sound, barely there.

Dru turned toward the trees, scanning the shadows beneath the branches. And then she spotted him.

Ethan sat curled against a thick tree trunk, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. His face was pale, his clothes marked with forest debris. He looked up at her, eyes red-rimmed, his breath hitching as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t.

Relief swept over her, but she kept her voice calm. “So, here you are.”

Ethan sniffed again, scrubbing his face with his sleeve. “I—I didn’t?—”

Dru crouched beside him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. “Think. You didn’t think and it got you lost.”

He clutched his knees tighter. “My da is right. I’m useless and he let the whole village know I’m a liar. I don’t want to go back. I can’t go back.”

Dru sighed, brushing a leaf from his tangled hair, then sat beside him. “You’re not useless, Ethan. You just haven’t found out who you are yet and your da isn’t helping you and that’s not his fault. He just doesn’t know how and that probably worries him. Sometimes we’re left on our own to figure things out and that takes time and plenty of mistakes.”

“Were you left on your own?”

“Aye, but not as young as you and you’re not completely alone. You have your mum, who loves you so much and your brothers, who can probably be annoying at times but are searching for you right now, and so is your da and Knox. And your grandda truly loves you.”

“My grandda is my best friend. My brothers don’t treat me so badly. It’s my da who hates me and is probably furious with me right now.”

“He doesn’t hate you, though he has a right to be angry. You shouldn’t have run off. You let your anger rule just like your da does.”

Anger sparked quickly in his young eyes. “I’m nothing like my da.”

“You are more like your da than you think which doesn’t make it easy for you. But staying out here, not facing your da, won’t fix anything.”

“My da made sure that everyone knows I’m a liar,” he said, tearing up again.

“Then prove him wrong. Think before doing anything. Don’t rush into anger like your da. Anger never solves anything.”

He sniffled. “My grandda tells me that often.”

“Then pay heed to your grandda’s wise words. Learn from those willing to help you and even those who aren’t willing can teach you something.”

“Like what?” he asked curiously.

Dru chuckled. “Like how you don’t want to be just like them.”

Ethan laughed softly.

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