“What’s your name?” The creature practically purred the question at her. His voice was low and smooth, completely unaccented. His nostrils flared slightly, as though inhaling her scent.“Um . . .” Mia swallowed nervously. “M-Mia.”“Mia,” he repeated slowly, seemingly savoring her name. “Mia what?”“Mia Stalis.” Oh crap, why did he want to know her name? Why was he here, talking to her? In general, what was he doing in Central Park, so far away from any of the K Centers? Breathe, Mia, breathe.“Relax, Mia Stalis.” His smile got wider, exposing a dimple in his left cheek. A dimple? Ks had dimples? “Have you never encountered one of us before?”

“Mia Maz glanced aside in concern at his muffled snort. "Are you all right?""Yes. Sorry," he whispered. "I'm just having an attack of limericks."Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip; only her deepening dimple betrayed her. "Shhh," she said, with feeling.”

“I love you," he said softly, his hand stroking her back. "And I'll do anything for you. You know that, right?"Mia smiled, her heart overflowing with emotion. "I love you more...""That would be impossible," he told her, and the intensity in his voice startled her. "I love you so much it hurts.”

“Ti amo, mia bella ragazza. Per sempre." "Sempre?" She asked. Cracking a smile, he brushed his finger softly across her lips. "Always and forever”

“You don’t know?” he whispered harshly. “You truly don’t know that you mean everything to me?”Hardly daring to believe her ears, Mia pushed at his chest to put a little distance between them so she could look up at his face. “I do?”“Of course, you do.” His gaze burned into her with an intensity she had never seen before. “How could you doubt it?”“Are . . . are you saying you love me?” she asked tremulously, afraid to even voice such a possibility. What if he said no? What if she’d misunderstood him, and he would now laugh at her silliness? Her chest tightened in anxious anticipation.“Mia, I love you more than life itself,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “If anything happened to you . . . If you were gone, I would not want to go on living. Do you understand me?”

“And you must be Princess Mia? I've heard about you."Her lips pucker and she leans out just a bit further from Storm's cover. "You have?!He nods. "Well, I heard about a Princess Mia who likes ice cream. That must be you, right?"She nods slowly and whispers, "Did you hear that, Mommy? People know I'm a princess!”