Academic Therapy Publications interview questions

Had an in-person interview that went well. It was an easy-going conversation, and I felt comfortable. Was offered a position that was different from the position I applied for, which was fine, except that they offered a very low salary based on my level of experience. I explained such, and then was asked to come in for a second interview. The purpose of this interview was not very clear. I met the rest of the team and was guided through the editorial process, but we did not discuss the salary any further, nor the position they were offering. I got another email with a new offer, the position tweaked slightly, and with a higher salary. I politely declined, based on the fact that I had ongoing freelance gigs that I wanted to commit to (and the whole process had felt a little strange, so I did not want to commit to this new job), and I received a strange reply that sounded defensive, and I'm not entirely sure what the point of it was. That seemed unprofessional. As someone who has hired editors before, if someone declines a job, it's not appropriate to reply in such a defensive way. I'm glad I didn't take the job.