Given how they had met, and how their current relationship was friendly enough but also largely a business related transaction as well, Maxim had been willing to give Madeline credit for being standoffish towards him for a while. Trust took time, after all. He had yanked her out of her life into one that was new but likely equally dangerous, not saved her from monsters. But it was good to have his suspicions confirmed that she was slow to trust regardless.
The fact that she had been homeless herself was a surprise, though as he thought it over more it made sense. She had learned from someone who was in her position, and then taken the desperate delivery jobs as a way to save herself. Maxim couldn't fault her for her choices any more now than he had initially. Sometimes life had a way of backing you into corners you couldn't push your way out of.
"I'm glad you had someone to lean on," he said softly, and was not quite surprised that he meant it. "I'm sure it wasn't easy, living that way, but it's always better to have someone at your side." Perhaps it wasn't quite the same for her, but for wolves especially he knew the ingrained tendency was to gather, to have a warm body at your side to sleep next to and to watch each other's backs. "Does he have any pack of his own still? You don't have to tell me if you think he wouldn't want me to know."
The fact that she had been homeless herself was a surprise, though as he thought it over more it made sense. She had learned from someone who was in her position, and then taken the desperate delivery jobs as a way to save herself. Maxim couldn't fault her for her choices any more now than he had initially. Sometimes life had a way of backing you into corners you couldn't push your way out of.
"I'm glad you had someone to lean on," he said softly, and was not quite surprised that he meant it. "I'm sure it wasn't easy, living that way, but it's always better to have someone at your side." Perhaps it wasn't quite the same for her, but for wolves especially he knew the ingrained tendency was to gather, to have a warm body at your side to sleep next to and to watch each other's backs. "Does he have any pack of his own still? You don't have to tell me if you think he wouldn't want me to know."