He Sold Me Into Slavery I Returned As Queen Chapter 17
Cedric shook all over, unable to force out another word of defense.
Lucian continued issuing orders.
“Take him to the Court of Judgment. Bring full charges for abduction, trafficking, falsifying credentials, and perjury.”
The guards stepped forward and seized Cedric.
He suddenly struggled, his eyes finding mine.
“Ella!”
I frowned.
My wolf knew his scent, and the rejection that rose from it was absolute.
“I regret it!” he cried.
“All these years, every Full Moon Festival, I couldn’t sleep. I went to the temple to light lamps and pray for you.”
“I wasn’t completely without a conscience!”
I walked over to him.
“Those lamps were never lit for me.”
“You were only afraid the truth would come back to haunt you.”
He went still.
I said quietly, “If you truly regretted it, you would have gone to Ironwood long ago and confessed. You would have surrendered yourself to the Court of Judgment.”
“But you didn’t.”
“You entered the academy, joined the selection, got engaged, and waited to claim your seat and hold your mating ceremony with Rosalie.”
“The regret you speak of is nothing but bitterness that you lost today.”
Even as he was dragged from the hall, Cedric was still shouting my name.
Fifteen years ago, I had shouted his.
I had cried, “Cedric, save me.”
He had never looked back.
So today, neither did I.