Teka

A supporting character in the Painted Flowers sequel.

Name: Teka (teh-kah)
Species: African painted dog
Affiliation: Pack of Falling Ash
Rank: Royal
Age: Puppy (epilogue) / Adolescent (sequel)
Family:
Mothers - Feoria, Kichea 

Surrogate parent - Amare 

Siblings - Jojo, Ayo, Little Zahra 

Grandparents - Barke, Xenia (deceased), Cyrah, Nuru (deceased) 

Uncles - Kwasi, Zain (adopted)

Aunt - Zahra (adopted, deceased)

Bio: Teka alongside his siblings were born to Kichea and Feoria, queens of the Pack of Falling Ash, and sired by Royal Amare. Teka earned his necklace after making his first kill, using the bones from the prey animal. He was born deaf.

Personality: Like all pups, Teka is inquisitive and eager to explore. When he was very young, he wasn't aware that he was any different from the other dogs, though he felt smothered by his overprotective mother, Kichea. His siblings grew to be jealous of his "extra attention", and eventually he would come to realize that it was because he couldn't hear. 

As he grows, he begins to feel more and more outcast, as if there were something wrong with him, and becomes somewhat withdrawn. However, he is determined to learn an invented sign language alongside his selective mute uncle, Zain, who lives in the Pack of Painted Flowers.