The hero is a man who becomes an animal. This allows the female protagonist (and the reader) to have it both ways. She enjoys the raw, unadulterated loyalty, scent-based communication, and protective ferocity of the wolf, but she also gets the opposable thumbs and verbal "I love you" of the man.
: Scholarly analysis of Disney films suggests that male characters who take on animal forms often become more vulnerable and equal in their relationships with the heroine. Real-World Animal "Romance" woman sex with animals video exclusive