Lake Rodney Queen of knives.

Maia really didn't want to mess anything up here.  But as Towhee mentioned Eljay promising to stay close and help her find a den, she felt a little bit of protective anger over it all.  He'd been so upset when she found him and this only made it clearer.  They'd expected him to take care of their families, just like he always had, without even thinking about asking if he wanted one of his own.  Maia would never have considered herself to be worth that to them, but the fact that Eljay wasn't was more than enough to get her heated on his behalf.

I think he needed some space, she said, a little bluntly.  I get the feeling something happened and I don't really want to talk for him or anything, but if you don't absolutely need him right now, I think you should give him some time.  There were so many more things she wanted to say but she was absolutely not going to get into it without knowing the entire story.  As tempting as it was.... and hoooo boy was it.  

Maia shifted uncomfortably.  I can... give him a message, though?  Maybe it'd help to tell him that it was okay that he stayed a while and took a little time for it. He still felt guilty over it all, Maia could tell, and she hated it.  She still wasn't entirely, completely sure he'd moved in with her for all the right reasons and until she knew that he knew, there was no way she was delivering that news officially herself.