“The audacious telegraph operator took the flower from his buttonhole and said to her: "I give you my life in this rose.”

“From the corner of her eye, the wildflowers along the wall caught her attention. “Roar, wait!”Roar turned around. “Yes?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.Aria ran to the wall, scanning the flowers. She found the right one and plucked it. She drew in its scent and imagined Perry walking beside her, his bow across his back, looking over with his lopsided grin.She brought the flower to Roar. “I changed my mind,” she said. “Give him this.”Roar’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “I thought you liked roses. What’s this?”“A violet.” ”

“I wish I were a rose...that you might wear me for a buttonhole bouquet on your journey. But I wonder...would you throw the rose away when it faded?”

“Don't strew me with roses after I'm dead....When Death claims the light of my browNo flowers of life will cheer me: insteadYou may give me my roses now!”

“I can’t believe he sent me flowers.”A rude noise escaped from somewhere deep in Aidan’s throat. “I just saved your life. What are roses compared to that?” He was glaring at the long-stemmed flowers, his golden gaze intent and menacing. Alexandria glanced up at him, saw the dark, determined set of his mouth, and burst out laughing. She spun around and went up on her toes to cover his eyes with her palm. “Don’t you dare. If my roses wither, I’ll know exactly who’s responsible. I mean it, Aidan. You leave my flowers alone. You can probably destroy the entire bouquet with one ferocious glance.”Her body was soft against his, her laughter warm against his throat. His arm circled her small waist, locking her to him. “I was only going to make them droop a little. Nothing too dramatic.”

“I gave you all the happiness of my life,where are you ? You took my joy away from me,where are you ? give it back,i have life too.”