Amara

Amara had a bit of a rough start; her mother died during her delivery, birthing two pups, herself and a stillborn brother. Her father blamed Amara for her mother's death and named her after the Italian word for bitter. Amara's parents were the leaders of a sizeable pack, but they were reaching the end of their lifespans with no offspring, and so her stillborn brother was supposed to be the heir.

Although her father was always distant and curt with Amara, she received plenty of love and attention from her nurse mother growing up, as well as being revered by the rest of her packmates. As she grew close to adulthood, however, the pressure placed upon her father and expectations of the pack to find a mate and start preparing to step into a leadership role began to overwhelm her. In the middle of the night, Amara started slinking out of her den and would head to a nearby grove for a few hours of serenity before returning.

One night at the grove, Amara picked up the scent of a strange wolf. Feeling bold and curious, Amara followed it and found a female dispersal wolf with a freshly killed rabbit in her jaws. The stranger was on the verge of fleeing, but Amara with her charismatic nature made it clear she meant no trouble and calmed her down. Amara hadn't met many outsiders and was eager to learn what the world was like for others. The wolf told her her name was Nymeria and she hailed from a pack many leagues away from Amara's but left recently. The two clicked instantly and agreed to meet up every few days at a location further from home. Every few days quickly became every night. Amara had made friends before, of course, but the bond she had formed with Nymeria felt different, fiercer. She was all she could think about.

Two months on the dot after they first met, Nymeria showed up at their hideaway that night to find a pacing and swearing Amara. Amara spewed to her about a particularly nasty fight she had with her father earlier that day. She raved about how her dad wants her to choose a bachelor to bond with, and about how it's utter bull that once she does and they ascend in rank, the guy would become the one who's really in charge and she's just there to continue on a bloodline. Nymeria thought for a moment, then sprung up and suggested that they run away together, right then and there. Without hesitation, Amara agreed.

The two traveled south for months and months, both wanting to ensure they'd never be found. Huddled close one winter night, the two confessed their love to each other, and the following spring officially started their own pack. Nymeria took on the role of being a scout while Amara worked on recruiting wolves into their pack and defending their borders. Their jobs keep them away from home often, sometimes they'd be apart for an entire month before meeting again, but it makes the time they do spend together all that more special.