Legend of the Autumn Wind: Wind of Change by Michael Barnette
Book one in the Legend of the Autumn Wind series
Available now at Mojocastle Press LLC


Akikaze Ryu and his sister Kazue have lost everything. Home, family and hope. But when they meet a tall violet eyed stranger who rescues them from a group of bandits their lives are forever changed.

Shimazu Haruhiro is a samurai. He's been looking for a boy who is rumored to know the secret sword fighting style known as the Autumn Wind. But finding him as greater consequences for the samurai: the boy is not only skilled, but beautiful, and Haruhiro finds that he must have Akikaze Ryu for his own.

Author’s note: Okama is the Japanese word for a gay man. It’s been in use since the Edo period.

"I won't deny that I'm okama." There wouldn't be any point in refuting the truth that he was sexually attracted only to other men. Of course it wasn't unusual for a young samurai's first sexual encounters to be with other samurai. That was just the way things were. Wives were hard to come by, and few men were successful in finding one. Ryu had never felt a trace of desire for any girl he'd ever seen, and he'd seen quite a few in his travels with his sister. No, only men could awaken that need in him. Taking that under consideration he had to admit that he'd never reacted to men he felt were his equals or were of a lesser caste. Not even the hard muscles of a laborer could excite him the way an older samurai could. It was what had betrayed him to his former master, and that had led to a lot of pain. Not that his master had been able arouse that sort of reaction in him. The man was a disgusting pig. But his oldest son...

Ryu could still feel the heat of the kisses they'd shared searing into his mind and body. He felt his erect flesh twitch at the memory. He'd wanted Saneyori very much... at first.

But he wanted Shimazu-san with a far greater intensity than he'd ever believed was possible in his limited experience of such things. It was a test of his resolve not to throw himself into the older samurai's arms and let him do all the things lovers did together.... whatever those were.

"Then why fight your nature so much?"

"It's not my nature I'm fighting," Ryu retorted, "it's ruining my life that I'm resisting!" He spun on the ball of his foot and started to stalk away from the older man.

A hand closed on his shoulder, but before his master could forcibly turn him around Ryu broke away from his hold and turned to face the taller man, his hand on the hilt of his katana.

"Master or not, if you try to force me I'll kill you!" Ryu snarled out, ready to fight if that was what it would take to stop the man's advances.

Shimazu-san just held his empty palms out to him, "Easy, Ryu, just take it easy. I've got no intention of raping you, though from your reaction I'd guess at least one man has tried."

Ryu kept all trace of reaction hidden. At least he thought he had, but from the way his master was searching his face, he might not have been as thorough as he'd believed he'd been. And the heat rising to his cheeks wasn't helping him conceal his feelings either.

He makes me so angry, yet, I want to let him kiss me. Gods why does my life have to be so difficult? I just want him to hold me, but... But what? He's not Saneyori. He retreated further out of the man's reach. But what if he's like Saneyori? That bastard was so good at hiding his real intentions.

And this time it's really too late to worry about what Shimazu-san's intentions are. You've sworn to serve him haven't you?

"I'm right aren't I? Someone tried to force you. You can tell me about it if you want."

"No." Ryu let his hand slip from the hilt of his katana but he was still on edge, ready to defend himself if this new master of his proved to be as lax with his promises as his former master had been.

Please don't let him be like those others. Please, he prayed silently, not even sure to whom his prayers were going.

One of his master's hand moved toward him, and Ryu struck it aside with his own hand, knowing that his own puny strength-- or his dubious skill with a sword-- couldn't stop Shimazu-san if he really wanted to use him.

The world tipped and pitched and he felt himself hit the ground before he even realized he'd been attacked. He landed on the grass, face down with his master's weight pinning him there easy as he would have held a kitten.

He wanted to scream, but he knew his sister would get hurt if she came to help him. And the innkeeper or his wife would be no help. Not against a samurai.

He closed his eyes and waited for his clothes to be torn off, for the feel of hard hands on his body.

I can bear this. I'm samurai.

Instead of his clothes being ripped away, Ryu felt the man's hands grip his shoulders and hold him to the ground.

"Lesson one. You do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot do," the man stated, his a voice harsh, commanding snarl in his ears.

Oh gods... oh gods...

Ryu's heart started to race at the sound of his Shimazu-san's voice. It was a deep, rumbling growl that went right to the flesh between his thighs. Fear and a giddy sense of helplessness combined into a mix of emotion that turned to flame in his blood. His groin ached and he couldn't help the shudder that passed through him.

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