Page 54 of Taken by Moonlight

Gert’s brown gaze widened. “This is mypack.”

“Okay.” I didn’t get it, but didn’t want to beimpolite.

She saw me stare at the apron and laughed. “Oh, the outfit. Here at the ranch, we take turns fulfilling various roles we’re good at. I like serving people, so on weekends when the others want to be outdoors, I wait on others and help cleanup.”

Fulfilling various roles. “Sounds good. Like a werewolf co-op.”

Gert smiled. “That’s cute. Dante said you were cute, andclever.”

Then she headed out, pausing to turn at the door. “If you need anything, dial zero on the phone by the bed. That will connect you to the downstairskitchen.”

Cute and clever. Yeah, that was me. I sat at the table and dug into the food, suddenly ravenous. It was all hot, and delicious. I tasted everything, but didn’t finish. Too anxious to find out what Dante had planned, I left the tray on the table and wentdownstairs.

I had no idea of the inner workings of apack.

Guess I was about to findout.

I knew Dante and the others meant well in whisking me away from the Browns and driving me to the ranch. Yet part of me wished I had been stronger, and better able to defend myself instead of standing there staring at Earl Brown. Maybe I would have been able to leave on myown.

No use whining about it. Dante had promised he’d return me to my house late Monday, and I’d keep him to it. In the meantime, why not enjoy myself? Gabriel, Alex and Dante seemed determine to pamperme.

Might as well let them. I deservedit.

The stairs led to a wide, open living area with a river rock fireplace, a few brown leather sofas and chairs arranged around it. An area rug with a growling grizzly bear sat before the sofa and chairs. There were a few tables near the floor to ceiling windows, and a chandelier made of elkantlers.

It looked normal, like an upscale vacation lodge. I headed down the hallway, glancing at a few rooms along the way. Closed doors. Bedrooms, maybe, oroffices.

At the hallway’s end was the kitchen. A chef’s delight, it was huge and yet inviting, with a built-in booth set beneath a window, and a round wood table for six near French doors that led to the outdoors. Plenty of light streamed in through thewindows.

Impressed, I looked around the gleaming stainless steel and marble kitchen. Mine was older, with a refrigerator that had seen better days. Better days? Betterdecades.

“Peyton, you’re awake.” Gabriel strode into the kitchen. Bare-foot, wearing jeans and a powder blue T-shirt, he looked happy andrelaxed.

He lifted me into his arms, swung me around and then kissed medeeply.

When I came up for air, hebeamed.

“What was that for?” Iasked.

His smile dropped. “I’m happy you’re here. And in one piece. Hell, I’m just happy to seeyou.”

I squeezed his bicep. “Same here, bigguy.”

For all his rough and tumble ways, and his intensity, Gabriel seemed like a little lost boy at times. It endeared him to me, seeing this big wolf who could crush cars having avulnerability.

“Thanks for the tray in my room. I wasstarved.”

He beamed again. “Dante said to leave you alone this morning when you woke up. He said you wouldn’t be interested in anything other thanrest.”

Gabriel waggled his eyebrows. “But in case you aren’t, here I am, ready to serve you. I have ropes in mybedroom.”

I laughed. “I had a nice rest, thanks. I crashed lastnight.”

“You didn’t even wake up when he brought you inside last night. Dante instructed us to let yousleep.”

“Who put me tobed?”

“We alldid.”