Wolf by Wolf

Felix is Adele Wolfe’s twin brother. He wants to keep his sister from entering the Axis Tour and risking her life. Disguised as Adele, Yael repeatedly tries to discourage Felix from following her into the race. Even after she knocks him unconscious, he doggedly remains at her side, trying to keep the other bikers from harming her. Felix is worried about Yael’s growing attraction toward Luka, whom he doesn’t trust.

Once Felix becomes aware of Yael’s mission to kill Hitler, he doesn’t betray her. At the end of the book, he once more tries to prevent her from completing her mission but doesn’t succeed. A potential romance with the real Yael remains an open question at the end of the novel.  

Luka represents the Aryan ideal of manhood. Superficially, he appears to be devoted to Hitler’s cause, though he reveals other traits over the course of the novel that suggest his sympathies might lie elsewhere. He shares a secret past with Adele that Yael doesn’t completely understand. Luka feels that Adele stole the previous year’s race from him, and he’s determined to win the current Axis Tour title by fair means or foul.

Allying himself with Yael, he eliminates the rest of the competition and drugs Yael into falling behind in the race. Despite these actions, he confesses his love for Adele/Yael by the end of the novel. She rejects his advances so she can complete her mission to kill Hitler, though she might be inclined to reciprocate his affection in the book’s sequel.

Babushka—Babushka is an elderly Russian woman who befriends Yael in the concentration camp. She gives the girl the nickname of Volchitsa, or “she-wolf,” and predicts that Yael has a destiny to save them all. Babushka succumbs to the hardships of life in the concentration camp and dies. Yael commemorates her as the first wolf tattoo on her arm.

Mother—Yael’s mother tries to protect her after they arrive at the camp. Although others call her daughter a monster once Yael’s appearance begins to change due to the experiments performed on her, Yael’s mother defends her. When Yael’s mother falls victim to a fever infecting many of the inmates, she hallucinates and calls her daughter a monster before she dies. She is represented by the second of Yael’s tattoos.

Miriam—Miriam is Yael’s older sister. She tries to take care of Yael after their mother dies. When she learns that Yael can control her shapeshifting abilities, Miriam concocts a scheme that will allow Yael to escape the camp. Even though she can’t leave, Miriam urges Yael forward, believing that she is special and will make a difference someday. Miriam is represented by Yael’s third tattoo.

Aaron-Klaus—Aaron is a teenage boy who befriends Yael when she tries to pick his pocket. He introduces her to the resistance ring that takes her in and gives her a home. When Aaron grows impatient with the other members of his band who won’t make a move against Hitler, he shoots the Führer before turning the gun on himself. Aaron dies, but Hitler doesn’t. Aaron is the fourth wolf on Yael’s arm. 

Vlad—Vlad runs a farm in the Alps where resistance fighters train as spies. Yael spends three years learning spycraft and combat skills from him. Vlad teaches Yael to overcome her fear of her past by making her stare at her concentration camp tattoo until it no longer frightens her. He is represented by her fifth wolf tattoo. 

General Reiniger—Reiniger is a member of the Nazi high command but is secretly a resistance fighter who attempts to recruit other disaffected military officials to his cause. He arranges for Yael’s training and gives her the assignment to kill Hitler. After the assassination, Reiniger begins to mobilize other resistance members in the Nazi ranks to prepare for a coup.

Henryka—Henryka is the energetic head of Yael’s resistance ring. She works closely with Reiniger to plan strategy and also functions as a surrogate mother to Yael.