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Brett knows that Hayden has feelings for him, which is why he changes his attitude toward Hayden. However, Hayden liking Brett and wanting to be with Brett for the long term are two different things. It’s like being attracted to a bad boy, knowing that getting involved will only hurt you. Even if you like someone, if your lifestyles don’t align, it’s hard to make it work. Maybe that’s why Brett knows Hayden likes him but also believes that Hayden doesn’t want anything long-term.

But in any case, Brett's question wasn't a rejection; it was to reaffirm Hayden's decision and desires, implying that Brett also wants the same thing.

Ah, you mean Brett's shock isn't the fact that Hayden likes him, but the realization that Hayden wanted something more, something long term and possibly deeper than what they currently have?

I guess going by initial reaction and going forward with Hayden still somewhat hesitating to be truly affectionate towards the end, it would have been difficult even for Brett to fathom how someone like Hayden could possibly want to pursue anything more than the physical relationship they have.

Yeah, which is adds weight to the frustration of the misunderstanding that Hayden has towards the end.

I’m pretty sure the author is slightly sadistic leaving those things very open ended (they even stated they like leaving things open ended lmao) and then giving us this crazy cliff hanger

Exactly, from Brett's point of view, it's clear that Hayden doesn't desire a partner like Brett. It's not hard to notice that Hayden is gradually being drawn to Brett, but the criteria for a life partner are hard to change. Hayden prefers stability and a normal life, so logically, if he had a choice (and wasn't influenced by his pheromone disorder), he wouldn't choose Brett, an Alpha, but rather an Omega—someone naturally destined to form a long-lasting, strong bond with an Alpha. Even Hayden himself probably didn't expect to be attracted to an Alpha, let alone someone with a personality like Brett's. According to his profile, Hayden values romance and tends to be protective and controlling toward those he cares about, while Brett is the type who doesn't like being overly cared for. That alone means Brett can't satisfy Hayden's needs. But Brett doesn't change himself to fit Hayden's preferences, so he accepts that the likelihood of a long-term relationship between them is low.
But Hayden ending up surprised him lol

I really hope Brett doesn’t end up feeling like Hayden wouldn’t love him just because he’s not what he expected, cuz isn’t that how all love is?

Bro I swear half my comments be getting deleted. I also said I can’t wait to see Hayden pining for Brett and I loved how much Hayden has changed for Brett

If Season 2 emphasizes Brett's feelings for Hayden and introduces someone for Brett to feel anxious or jealous about, it's highly likely that person would be Omega. In Season 1, it was difficult to notice because Brett is very good at hiding his emotions, but he always showed displeasure whenever Hayden sided with Scott. The reason their first date failed was due to Scott's presence and his release of pheromones around Jung.

It's quite interesting that Brett, an Alpha with high self-esteem, would feel anxious about someone who is clearly at a disadvantage compared to him in many ways. This would add more complexity to Brett's character.

As for Hayden, he's jealous of everyone, lol.

Specifically, it's highly likely that Hayden's ex-boyfriend will come back.

OMG I thought this too!!! Especially cuz it’s mentioned that his ex had to go on regular meds/treatment to manage his heats, I was thinking they may run into him at the hospital that Hayden is getting treated at for his gunshot wound but that’s just my imagination and it might not go in that direction at allllll lmfao

Since Hayden was caught off guard by his feelings for Brett then he must not have realized how much influence the situation with his pheromones re-shaped his criteria for a serious and long lasting relation. Initially he tried so hard to work around his problematic pheromones to the point that he won't take an omega partner for fear of hurting one again, but now that he found someone who enabled him to live freely despite his medical issue, it became too big of a part of his life that Brett's sexual preference over Hayden's pheromones became the defining factor for a partner.

I would LOVE to see a jealous Brett hohoho

Since Hayden was caught off guard by his feelings for Brett then he must not have realized how much influence the situation with his pheromones re-shaped his criteria for a serious and long lasting relation. Initially he tried so hard to work around his problematic pheromones to the point that he won't take an omega partner for fear of hurting one again, but now that he found someone who enabled him to live freely despite his medical issue, it became too big of a part of his life that Brett's sexual preference over Hayden's pheromones became the defining factor for a partner.

A situation could arise where Hayden's pheromones are completely stabilized as Hayden wants, and he would have to choose between staying with Brett or pursuing a "more ideal" option. This is a common trope to show that no matter what choice Hayden has, he would still choose Brett, reinforcing the strong bond and sincerity between them.

The thought of Brett being so sure that Hayden couldnt possibly like him on a deeper level because of the unlikelihood of him meeting Hayden's expectations for a partner also crossed my mind. I feel like Brett had a goal and when it was met he became satisfied. Not saying he grew complacent but I think he is incredibly self aware, and he knows Hayden enough to be sure that he wants something different for a partner and that Brett and his offer doesnt fit those criteria. I'm excited to see Brett's reaction on season 2 though, now that his assumptions about Hayden's preferences have been proven wrong

It makes me sad to think that Brett may feel like he’s not good enough, but the thought that he feels that he doesn’t match Hayden is even more sad because he is literally PERFECT for Hayden because he balances Hayden out. I do think that it being an alpha x alpha story in this case matches so well, because biologically speaking, it’s mentioned (in this specific omegaverse) that alphas aren’t attracted to each other because of a lack of benefits. (I.e. pheromones incite fear/panic/etc, no reproductive benefits, etc). So realistically speaking, their relationship doesn’t have many benefits, especially when their personalities don’t exactly mesh and it started out so rough. But the reason why this series has the potential to be the most damn romantic story in the history of all omegaverse is despite all those things, they still choose each other.