Decay and Devour by G.E. Masters

Five years after the outbreak that turns people into zombies, all Kate has is hope–hope that her vaccine research will save everyone left. But after volunteering to patrol the safe zone and getting ambushed by a horde of infected, she can only think of saving herself.
As she runs from the horde, she’s unceremoniously tackled by an infected and she’s convinced it’s the end.
Yet the infected doesn’t rip her apart–it drags her to an abandoned home, instead.

Jordan has been infected for months with no hope of a cure. The virus rages like a beast in her, dragging her body around, making her see and do things no person should have to endure. She tries hiding in the recesses of her mind when she suddenly gains control of herself.
But the beast is not done lurking beneath the surface, whispering in her ear, urging her to kidnap this particular woman.

As Kate comes to and learns of Jordan’s viral mutation, she grows determined to get back to the safe zone, confident it’s the key to saving everyone. The two strike a Jordan will escort Kate to the safe zone, but she must come back with Jordan once the work is done, as the beast demands. The unlikely duo must survive hordes, raiders, and a cult in the mountains, all while trying to overcome their own demons. As they traverse the outskirts of the city, they find themselves leaning on one another and bonding in ways they didn’t expect.

But in this world, happiness is fleeting