An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2648

Chapter 2648

The storm’s wind drove snow like sharp gravel into Matthias’s face. He gripped the arm of the soldier beside him so tightly his knuckles turned white.

His black battle robe was soaked through, clinging cold against his skin, the chill seeping into his very bones.

Lifting his head, he could barely make out the vague outlines of the men around him in the white blur. The soldier who had been swept away earlier hadn’t even managed a cry before vanishing into the storm, his trace erased within seconds.

“Here!” Matthias shouted against the wind. He pulled the animal-skin package Batu had given him from inside his robe and clutched it to his chest. With his free hand he felt along the wall of ice until his palm struck a jagged outcrop. “There’s an ice cave here! We can shelter for a while!”

Hope surged through him as he waved the others forward.

The soldiers struggled toward him, leaning on one another for balance. Each step was a battle. Snow reached their thighs, and anyone who faltered sank deep, needing the pull of their companions to get free.

Kyle’s cloak had turned dark red where blood from his back wound seeped through, freezing into patches of black ice. His face was pale, but he clenched his teeth and pushed forward, never letting go of the soldier gripping his arm. From time to time, he shouted hoarsely at others to watch their footing.

At last they reached the cave. It was cramped, barely large enough to hold a dozen men, but it was shelter.

Matthias entered first, then turned and hauled the soldiers in one by one. As the last man stumbled inside, a massive clump of snow slammed against the opening, sealing it nearly shut. Only a narrow gap remained for air.

Inside was dim but mercifully warmer. The men collapsed on the icy floor, gasping.

Matthias untied the animal-skin bundle. Inside lay strips of dried meat, herbs for warmth, and a map painted directly onto hide.

A red line traced a path from Snowfang Valley to a point marked New Territory. Along the route were strange symbols and notes.

“This should be the path out of the Ice and Snow Realm,” Matthias said, tapping the endpoint. His eyes lit with relief. “Batu really didn’t lie to us.”

But as he examined further, his expression darkened. Dangerous zones were marked along the path—“Ice Crack Zone,” “Snow Fox Lair,” and one black-painted sketch of a massive beast. Beside it were three ominous words: Ice Dragon Habitat.

He frowned. The road ahead was far from safe.

They rested in the cave for two hours until the blizzard weakened.

Matthias shared out the dried meat and boiled herbs into a bitter broth. The warmth spread quickly through tired bodies, drawing color back to their faces.

“We move while the storm has stopped. The ice cracks are just ahead,” Matthias said, brushing snow from his shoulders, determination in his eyes.

The men rose and followed him outside.

Though the wind had eased, the sky remained a dull gray, and snow still swirled faintly. At least now they could see.

An hour later, the landscape split open before them.

The ice cracked into a jagged web of fissures, bottomless chasms exhaling cold gusts that moaned through the void like spirits.

The only way forward was a series of thin ice bridges, slick and narrow, where one wrong step would mean falling forever.

“Careful. One by one. Hold the rope as you go,” Matthias ordered. He fastened one end of a rope around a sturdy ice boulder and passed the other end down the line.

Taking the lead, he stepped onto the bridge. The width barely held his boots. Each step creaked underfoot, brittle as glass.

He drew in his breath and advanced slowly, steady as stone. Behind him, the soldiers clutched the rope, following close. None dared look down.

Midway across, a soldier’s foot slipped. His body pitched sideways toward the abyss.

“Help!” he cried, voice breaking.

Matthias spun, reaching out, but he was too far.

Another soldier beside the man reacted instantly, catching his arm. With a heave, they dragged him back onto the bridge.

The near fall left the man white-faced, collapsed where he stood, trembling uncontrollably.

Step by agonizing step, they made it across. Relief washed over them when their boots touched solid ground again.

The rest of the path passed without incident. They skirted the snow fox den and gave wide berth to the Ice Dragon’s marked territory.

Three days and three nights they marched. They ate Batu’s dried meat, melted snow for water, trudged through freezing winds by day, and huddled in makeshift shelters by night.

The soldiers were gaunt, their faces hardened and armor rimed with frost, yet no one complained. They all knew—enduring meant escape.

On the evening of the third day, Matthias stopped suddenly.

He pointed ahead, eyes shining. “Look! Up there—it’s the mysterious passage marked on the map!”