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The Wolfriders are a select group of individuals with a high empathy towards wolves. They have all bonded with a wolf early in life and must pledge their existence to the protection of humanity. Known as military officers to The City residents, the Wolfriders have all been through the same rigorous training and exercises as Recruits and Privates, adjusting themselves to a difficult lifestyle where their duty comes before all else. Once chosen by and bonded with a wolf, a Wolfrider can never return to a normal life until the death of his partner.

The wolves have evolved to exceptional sizes and intelligence, but most noteworthy is their telepathic potential which is the core of the bond. Their telepathy was not discovered until the partnership between human and wolf began, when both sides realized that a mental bond could form between the two species. Essentially, once a young wolf finds a compatible human mind, the wolf can read the human's memories and thoughts as well as portray his own thoughts to his human - genders do not really seem to affect the ability to bond. However, because the telepathic ability lies within the wolf, the human cannot access the wolf's mind, only the thoughts and images sent to him by his wolf. The mental bond also has a limit, where human and wolf must be within a 10-mile radius to hear each other.

Through some theories and tests, the Wolfriders discovered that a complete bond can only be formed between a wolf pup going onto adolescence at three months of age and an almost fully developed mind of a 18-22 year old human. Younger wolf pups do not have enough of a grasp on their own mind and cannot access the telepathic capabilities properly, and allowing a wolf to bond at three months allows them more time to obtain complex knowledge; but due to the sudden opening of their telepathy at three weeks, wolf pups immediately seek out and always bond to a compatible human mind. As for humans, children younger than 18 have far too unstable minds to accept a bond, but anyone older than 22 and their minds have closed off to any mental changes. Since perfect bonds cannot be formed with every pair, it was realized that the wolf either chooses the most compatible match from the recruits available or resorts to an opposite-like mind if a high enough compatibility is not present.

The bond between human and wolf is mostly a mental connection, though there can be emotional and physical effect. Strong emotions or deep physical senses can be picked up by either one and even reflected. If a human felt extremely hungry, his wolf may feel unsatiatated even if he'd just eaten; likewise, if a wolf was in heat, then his human may feel some sexual tension. However, the impulses can be controlled and typically do not affect the individual's behavior since learning to ignore any urges is part of being a Wolfrider. But some newly bonded pairs have been seen acting out of character because of an emotional or physical effect.

A small handful of humans possess the rare telepathic ability that the wolves have. These people, known as Empaths, can read and explore their wolves' minds the same way their wolves can enter theirs. Instead of the normal one-way bond of most human and wolf pairs, Empaths and their wolves have two-way bonds. Unlike the normal bond where a human has no control over their wolf's reign of the mind, an Empath and his wolf can attempt to block each other out; but to do so would require an extensive amount of effort that is a mental and emotional drain and thus, few even attempt to do it. The ability of Empaths comes from their high empathy towards their wolf, so the theory is that they "inherit" their wolf's telepathy and can do what as wolf does - look into each other's minds. However, as a wolf cannot communicate with another human, an Empath cannot communicate with any other wolf either.

There are also one or two humans per generation that possess a very rare trait in which they have the same telepathic ability as the wolves and they can hear other wolves, but these select individuals are more advanced than Empaths. They are known as Seers because they can "see" into their wolf's mind same as an Empath but by opening their mind and practicing over time, Seers can also learn to hear thoughts conveyed from one wolf to another; but private thoughts passed between a wolf and his human are far too deep to be detected. The reason for having such ability is unknown, though it's contributed to an inheritable gene mutation that enhances the human's empathy towards wolves but broadens into a telepathic ability given constant contact with wolves since birth.

There have been uncertainties as to the loyalty between human and wolf in the beginning, but such distrust has since been eliminated. Humans have always had the power to kill the evolved insects, but they could never keep up with the insects' heightened senses and physical strengths. Whereas wolves could keep up with the insects in speed and strength, and could always sense through their smell and hearing where an insect was at all times, but they simply did not have the means to kill more than one or two. Therefore, the two were inevitably thrown together to become a weapon themselves, the human's firepower with the wolf's natural prowess.

But wolfriding is far more difficult than riding a horse, mostly because the wolves are faster and more agile, and such abilities are necessary when fighting. Saddles are not logical since a rider can sit deeper onto a wolf's back without anything in the way, but a body harness had been developed so that the riders have something to hold onto for balance and as a place to strap on any additional weapons. With the sharp turns and long leaps that the wolves often take, a rider is almost always holding onto the harness or at least a handful of fur, as even the most balanced rider cannot stay on a wolf in battle mode.

Once a pair have bonded, the human names his wolf. The name is always nature-themed and never the same as a previous wolf's. Originally, names were one simple word such as Aurora and Shadow. But since so many of them have been used already, recent names are usually a combination of two words, such as FeralBlood and Stardust.

Recruit --> Private Apprentice & Adolescent Wolf --> Private & Adult Wolf

After a century of surviving in a new and more treacherous world, wolves have evolved superior to their ancestors. Now at a size of equines and a weight that betrays their greater strength, the wolves have grown to rival the largely mutated insects. Most wolves are around 15-17 hh in height, but larger wolves at 17-18 hh usually become Alphas. They do not require much additional intake despite their growth in size, adapting by converting more energy from the small amounts of food they consume. Most noteworthy is their heightened intelligence, not only capable of understanding human language and strategy but also developing a telepathic ability.

Even before the bond between human and wolf began, wolves have had their telepathic ability for centuries. They were capable of conveying simple thoughts to each other mentally in what is now known as public mental speech as all wolves within the range can hear - much like a human speaks aloud, a wolf "speaking" with his mind can decrease or increase the volume so that only wolves within the set circumference can hear his thoughts. Although a wolf is incapable of directing mental speech to a specific wolf, thoughts conveyed between human and wolf are so deep that they cannot be heard by anyone else and is considered to be private mental speech. While Seers can hear public mental speech the same way a wolf can, they cannot hear any private mental speech between other bonded pairs; Empaths cannot hear public or private mental speech at all, only that which is communicated by his own wolf.

For some unknown reason, though probably as a result of radioactive exposure, the variety of fur coloring in the wolves has expanded greatly. Any color can pretty much be seen on a wolf now, though bright and pastel shades are not as common as medium and darker tones. Original gray to brown color spectrums are still the most common, though many are now tinged with widespread hues, such as pinkish brown or greenish gray. Natural markings are typically small and within the same color range, though spots and patches can appear now and then. But many Wolfriders and wolves like colorful patterns, so the wolf will often allow his rider to paint simple patterns onto his fur with permanent dyes.

Despite their evolved state, the wolves behave pretty much the same way as their smaller primitive ancestors. The Alphas follow a breeding season which comes in early fall and before the snowfall of winter. This way, they carry pups for two months before giving birth in early winter when the insects are not a threat. The pups stay in the breeding caves until they grow into independent adolescents at three months old, now ready to leave their parents and bond with a human. Mating is also much more lax now since the Alpha pair allows Betas to breed, and even on the rare occasion the Gammas, though some Alphas discourage matings between two Gammas.

For the most part, wolves still act more like their ancestors in pack situations, but they behave with more humane traits when they are with their riders. All wolves are born wild and with natural instincts, knowing nothing about nor understanding anything related to humans. Until they are around 3 months old, wolf pups cannot access the telepathic part of their mind. But when they can, they are immediately taken to meet the eligible Recruits and the pups seek out the most compatible (and comforting) mind within the group, thus forging an emotional and mental bond. Once they have bonded to a human, the wolves have access to a human mind and begin to learn about the human ways. They also become more intelligent and knowledgeable the more they are exposed to their human's mind, becoming smarter and even picking up on human behavior.

The wolves continue to live in family packs that follow a strict hierarchy, though still always affectionate and loyal towards one another. Each wolf knows their position in the pack, and there are few disputes within ranks if any at all. But after each hunt, the pups and adolescents are always the first to eat, followed by the Alphas, then the Betas and Gammas. The Omega receives the last of any meal, or they must hunt for themselves if nothing is left. Although the wolves are allowed to take from The City's herds, it's not uncommon for wolves to hunt wild prey as a pack or in pairs.

Despite being able to mentally convey thoughts with their individual rider as well as each other, wolves still prefer to communicate vocally. Howls and barks are most commonly heard although they also growl and snarl, and sometimes even whimper. During hunts and battles, they'll howl to keep track of each other, only resorting to mental communication when direct orders are to be conveyed from one rider to another. Alphas show dominance by staring directly at other wolves and snarling, while Gammas show submission by crouching low and whimpering while licking at the Alpha's mouth. Fights rarely break out, usually between Gammas over scraps of food, but playful romps are frequent and a good way for the wolves to unwind.

A wolf's life expectancy is as long as their humans, usually around 50 years of age. Retired wolves are treated the same as a normal Gamma, though former Alphas that retired from the position still receive some respect. Retired wolves often still run with the pack during a hunt, sometimes even acting as babysitters to pups or young adolescents if necessary. During a battle, Retired wolves stay in the Fort as a last line of defense should the current fighting pack not be able to fend off the enemy, though this has never occurred. Otherwise, the older wolves are happy to just sit back and relax, enjoying the last of their days in tranquility.


Alpha

As it has always been with wolves, the Alpha pair are the leaders of the pack determined by strength and intelligence. Most wolves are loyal and obedient to the dominant Alpha and eventually both Alphas since they possess a natural confidence and assertion of dominance that is rarely matched by the rest of the pack. The dominant Alpha rarely changes, usually resulting from an aging Alpha backing down to an emerging powerful wolf challenging for dominance. The mate chosen by the dominant Alpha, always one of the strongest of the opposite gender, automatically becomes the submissive Alpha. But challenges against submissive Alphas are more common, especially if the dominant sees more than one potential mate.

An Alpha male and female always pair up together, and they are the main breeders of the pack. Although they do not prevent other pairs from mating, they may discourage the act by beating around the Gammas during season. But the Alpha pair will only breed with each other and do so each year, giving birth to a large litter each winter. Their constant breeding is essential to the future of the pack as they produce the largest litters since they have the best conditions for mating.

Beta

Not an earned rank, Beta wolves receive their position if their human becomes a Sergeant. Most of the time, a Beta is naturally strong and assertive, capable of holding his own against the rest of the pack. Most of the time, Gammas will submit to Betas though not as much as to an Alpha. But there are the few more domineering or rebellious wolves that refuse to respect a Beta, though most Alphas discourage and even punish such behavior so fights rarely break out between a Beta and a Gamma.

Each pack always has two Betas, who may or may not be mates. But Betas also almost always breed every year, females only during the mating season. Beta matings produce small litters, but not as small as the ones from a Beta and Gamma pairing.


Gamma

All other wolves in the pack are known as the Gammas. They are natural followers and rarely try to disobey or rebel against an Alpha, but a few have been known to purposely cross a Beta. Two Gammas rarely mate since an Alpha pair may bully Gammas that try to do so, especially since it would mean less wolves to run in a battle. Furthermore, Alphas like to have monopoly of the breeding caves during the winter, so Gammas usually breed during other times if they are even allowed to do so.

Omega

Not as common within the new hierarchy, the Omega is still the lowest of the wolf ranks. They are still part of the family but do not receive any benefits beyond pack protection, often left to hunt for themselves. An Omega rarely stays in this rank for long since it's become more of a punishment given by the Alpha, most commonly for disobeying a Beta. But once the Omega has redeemed himself with the Alpha, he will usually be promoted back up to a regular Gamma.

A wolf ranked as Omega does not officially affect their human's since they cannot be demoted from a Private. But other Wolfriders may look down on the Omega's human for allowing his wolf to act disobediently.