I trap a growl in my chest, thinking twice about what I should say next so I don’t scare her away with a declaration she isn’t ready to hear yet.
Jasper fills my silence, jumping in with his well-thought-out words.
“He wouldn’t leave. Landon is pack leader, and he loves us more than he’ll ever admit. He has his reasons for why he’s so reluctant to find an omega, but once he meets you . . .” He pauses, tipping the corner of his mouth up into a soft smile. “He’ll change his mind. It will be impossible for him not to.”
“That’s if he recognizes me as a scent match,” Briar whispers.
I cup her shoulder, pulling her to lean against me. She moulds into my side like she was always supposed to be there.
“He will, Petal.”
“How can you be sure? Dash?—”
Jasper shakes his head, tongue slipping along his bottom lip. “Dash is wrong.”
The light chuckle that escapes her releases some of the tension in my muscles. I let loose a huff and nod at Jasper.
“I wish it was that easy,” she says.
“It can be. Give us a chance to prove it to you,” I all but beg.
Jasper spreads his fingers on her knee, touching more of her leg. “Come to the house and meet them properly. We can do this the right way and make the rest of the decisions from there.”
“Landon will be okay with that?”
No. But there’s not a fucking chance I’m letting him ruin this for us all. “Yes. He’ll be okay with it.”
Briar unfolds her legs and drops her feet to the floor. She folds her hands in her lap, fingers tapping her knuckles. While she’s looking down at them, I meet Jasper’s eyes, hoping he can read what I’m thinking.
Landon won’t agree to a meeting willingly. Especially not at our home.
He runs an anxious hand through his hair and sighs softly. I know immediately what he’s thinking.
We’re screwed.
“I’d be up to coming over. At least to see how things go,” Briar says, looking up from her hands. Her eyes pass between Jasper and me, looking more shy than before. “Like I said the other day to Ronan, this isn’t a done deal. I know scent matches are pretty set in stone, but I don’t want to only be with someone, especially a pack, because that’s what our biology says we should do. Having done what I do for work, I’ve seen the negative, painful side of a scent bond, and I refuse to feel pressured into anything. I want a choice.”
Jasper nods immediately, rubbing slow circles on her leg. My chest pounds at her bravery and certainty. My alpha purrs in approval, blood rushing to my groin.
“We completely understand. All I want is for you to know that we’re very interested in having you be our omega. The final decision will always be up to you,” Jasper promises.
“Told you the first time I saw you that I’d court you. I’m still going to do that,” I add.
Jasper crosses his ankles and smiles approvingly. “How about we start with dinner on Saturday? Let’s say six?”
“I’d like that,” she murmurs.
“Until then, you should call your landlord and have him permanently turn off the scent blockers in your apartment. They can’t be good to inhale twenty-four seven,” I grumble.
“It’s easier than taking suppressants. I’d prefer not to have to start again. Especially not . . .”Now.
Jasper’s brows furrow. “How long were you taking them before?”
“For a while. They made my heats more manageable, but my doctor warned me that prolonged use could cause more damage than they’d end up helping,” she explains.
Worry gnaws on my stomach. “My sister’s on suppressants.”
“You have a sister?” Briar asks, intrigued.