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Would he still kill me if he knew I wasn’t her?

Would he still kill me if he knew I was Allegra, the twin who isn’t worth anything?

The twin my father thinks is disposable and will never grieve.

“Kill me and be done with it,” I rasp. The command shocks him, but he seems to see more than what I want him to see. Not everything, though. He wouldn’t know the relief I’d feel at the freedom. Freedom from living in someone else’s shoes I’ll never fit.

He smiles, his beard grazing my skin as his lips arch. Then he crushes his mouth to mine, and I swear I die right there.

The flush of fire that consumes me brings me back. Only then does my brain register that he’s kissing me. Actually kissing me.

The thought hardly processes when a sharp sting pricks the back of my neck and my body jerks. It’s like a… bee… sting.

The devil pulls away, a mirthless grin etched on his lips. “No, malyshka, I’m not going to kill you. I have something worse in mind for you.”

“What?” My lips move, but they feel like they’re not. Like I’m trying to talk underwater.

The devil brushes his lips over mine again. And inhales me. “You’re going to be my wife… little mouse.”

The words stab through my mind, but then everything goes blurry.

My surroundings sway in and out of my vision. So does he.

Something’s wrong with me.

But… wife?

Did he really say that?

Everything goes black before I can take my next breath.

Chapter

Five

Lev

The beauty falls lifelessly. All that fire and fight, gone within seconds. She can’t say anything to me now.

I catch her frail body and scoop her up, allowing her to slump against my chest.

Poor little doll. She’s all mine now.

Moonlight touches her pale skin, contrasting the color against the blood red of her dress. Her chest rises and falls softly and oh so slowly, drawing my gaze to the deep line of cleavage designed to bring a man to his knees.

Gabrielle D’Auria is a vision of innocence and temptation wrapped in a pretty, red dress.

I smile down at her, unable to help myself. In my arms she’s limp and weightless. Fragile. Breakable.

Yes, printsessa, you are breakable, and I can’t wait to watch you shatter.

I study her for a moment, examining what I couldn’t see while she was fighting me.

Loosened hair, torn couture dress, bare feet. She was ready to run into the woods and flee into the night. She was even going to try when I caught her.

She may have made it. May have even managed to give me the slip once she passed beyond my surveillance. But I would have caught her.

Though I would have enjoyed the hunt, I shut down her plans before she could truly take flight. I have better things to do than chase my enemy’s daughter and wife-to-be through the forest.