When I got pregnant, my dog kept resting on my belly but barked whenever my husband touched it. I thought she was jealous until I discovered the chilling truth she’d known all along.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. My hands went numb. The words blurred, but their meaning was crystal clear.

Loki had sensed it all—the resentment, the hatred, the danger—long before I did. She wasn’t just guarding me out of jealousy. She was protecting me and the baby from someone who didn’t truly want us.

Now, when I watch my little boy giggling as he strokes Loki’s fur, I realize the weight of her love. If it weren’t for her instincts, her loyalty, her courage… my son might not be here today.