"He kept me hidden," she said. "He told everyone that I had died. That the stress of the ceremony had been too much for me and that I carried an incurable disease in secret. He made sure no one would look for me; no one would ask questions."
She looked down at her hands, scarred and broken.
"He locked me away in a private wing of the pack house. I had servants, but they were forbidden to speak to me. I had food, but it was always cold. And he—" She choked on a sob. "He would visit me. Every night. To remind me who I belonged to."
Lori's face was pale.
"He tortured you."
Meriem nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"For years. He kept me prisoner in my own home. He made sure I knew that I was nothing without him.
"What about your parents?" Attia asked quietly. "Couldn't they help y
