Maxu thought of the flower he’d picked as a child again, and something in him shifted. He’d assumed that by keeping her with him, he’d be no more than that greedy boy who’d ripped something perfect from the earth—the very thing that had made it grow—but what if he could be what fed her? What if he could provide the support and nourishment she needed to thrive? Maxu was a male who could acquire anything, yet that ability had never once made him truly happy. But now? He’d be
