The Heartwood the dark half

the spectre loomed; it did not depart, but spoke instead, and vuk stiffened. it was a child's voice. something nipped at her; it told the woman she should know the sound, but vuk had no recognition left in her. her steps began again; she moved toward the small form stiffly, stopping some feet away. "i d-don't k-know," the patchwork wolfess murmured, surprised at herself. "i h-had a s-son, b-but h-he is g-gone."

why was she telling the ghost this? vuk paused, shutting her jaws with a click and peering warily at the spectre-child she did not believe she was actually seeing. "why?"