Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother

Chapter 301

~María José’s POV~

I knew something was wrong the moment Axel’s eyes changed.

We were still tangled together in bed, his chest rising and falling against mine. Our bodies had been warm and spent. The sheets smelled like us. It smelled like sex and sweat and something sacred. I’d never felt so close to someone before. I thought I’d never stop smiling.

Then I blinked... and he was gone.

He pulled away like I’d slapped him. He didn’t say a word. He just climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"Axel?" I called after him, confused, still trying to catch my breath. He didn’t answer.

The door shut with a click. A few minutes later, the shower turned on, harsh and loud. Not gentle or soothing. Like he was trying to scrub something off him.

I sat up, the sheet pooling around my waist. My skin was still tingled with the echo of his touch. Everything between us had been real. I knew it was real. The way he’d looked at me; like I was his beginning and end. He’d said he loved me. I had said it back.

So why did it suddenly feel like we were breaking?

I waited a few minutes, heart pounding, telling myself he was just overwhelmed. Maybe he was processing things. Maybe he was scared—hell, I was scared. But I couldn’t sit still. Not when the weight in the room felt like something had shattered.