Here's what I'm thinking. ( tell m if you find this acceptable.) My character would be a wolf that speaks human (though in a deep gravely tone, and is MUCH bigger than a normal wolf would be. Perhaps the size of a lion. In his cage is a female wolf, just a little smaller than him. He remembers her, though he doesn't remember how. He remembers that she could once talk, though not anymore, he also remembers that he loves her deeply, and still does. He had pups when he woke up, and they could speak with varying levels of success, but since then they have been taken by those in charge.