I'm very happy to let you guys know that this story is now being betad by Eris Jade Black. She's been excellent so far and I'm very grateful to have her!

"Ah, Northman, is something wrong with my monthly statement?" I was starting to get some serious debt problems, and I needed that money.

"No, your majesty, everything is fine. I was actually calling to invite you to a party I'm holding. In honour of my new child." What? Did he finally turn one of the pathetic breathers at his club that fucking begged for it? That would be pathetic, not to mention embarrassing… for him. Then again, given his God complex…

"A new child? When did this happen?" I asked absent-mindedly, though I really couldn't care less. Eric and his first child were stuck up enough; I had no interest in having to put up with a third one. Fangbanger or not, they would eventually be just as insubordinate and full of themselves, I was sure of it. Maybe I could add an extra fee for registering newborns in my state, and get something out of it, though. Talk about killing two birds with one stone, I thought absently, very much liking the idea of it.

"Very recently; just last night."

I sighed. "Then truly a newborn." I liked to form a relationship with my children before I turned them. That way, when I finally did, they were already loyal to me. Nobody that's only known you for a day is going to be something worth showing off, especially if they were as pathetic as the vermin that frequented Eric's bar in the first place.

"Indeed." There was just something in his voice. I couldn't decide if he was hiding something, or just mocking me. Why did men have to have so many qualms about having a woman in a position of power? He may be older than me, but I had more experience with both politics and children, and he knew it. There was no reason why he shouldn't just defer to me, except for his fucking pride.

"And you want to have a party? So soon after meeting her?" This party could not possibly show him in a good light. Either his new child will cower in fear, especially in the company of vampires as old as myself, or be a disobedient wreck. Maybe it would finally show him how to properly pass on your blood. His child most definitely will not be as glorious as my Hadley will be in her first few weeks as a vampire; I have no doubts that she'll be one of my finest creations.

"I'm very happy with my choice. I'm sure you will agree with me once you meet her. She's quite the treat." So it was a she. Of course it was a she; men loved to have women beneath them in every way. Nothing more was said on the subject, and I just was starting to grow very tired of this conversation. The sooner I got the details of what would inevitably be his failure of a party, the sooner I could just go back to my Hadley.

"And this party will be at your… bar?" I had never tried to hide my opinion about his establishment. Vampires are superior to humans in every way. They should be the ones on showcase; they should be trying to please us.

"Of course, your majesty, though it will be closed to the public."

"Naturally." It was just dripping with condescension. "And this is going to be…?"

"Wednesday evening," he informed me. After a moment, he added, "Your Majesty."

"Alright, I suppose I can try to make an appearance." I told him bitchily, making it perfectly clear that the conversation was over.

"She won't disappoint." I didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, I snapped my phone shut, and let out (as always) an unnecessary breath. Bastard.

Of course I was going to come to his party. At the very least, a new vampire meant a new asset at my area, and it was always necessary to know what was at your disposal, as a queen. It would also give me a chance to go pay a visit with my precious William. I understood that he couldn't simply glamour the telepath, and that seducing her would take some time, but this was getting ridiculous. She was a virgin before Bill came along, and he was a vampire. Something was going on there that reeked of disobedience. If he didn't bring Sookie Stackhouse to me soon, I was going to have to take her by force.

"Hadley!" I called out. I needed something to distract me, and that's what my pet did best. "Hadley! Come here!" Within moments, she entered the day room and approached me, getting down on her knees. I popped my sunglasses off and took a good look at her. She had on very tight denim shorts and a cute yellow bathing suit top. A quick sniff told me that she was menstruating. I didn't mind.

ooooo

The sound of my phone buzzing tore me away from Hadley's writhing form, and I ignored her whimpers as I raised my head from her sex to answer it. "Compton." I said by way of greeting, already knowing it was him by the caller id.

"Your Majesty," he said humbly, and I knew that something was up. I didn't bother moving away, as Hadley couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, and she could care less anyway, but I did sit up fully and straighten my back. "I have some unfortunate news."

My fangs popped out and I hissed at the phone. I did not like the sound of that. "Pertaining to your… assignment?" I asked, choosing my words carefully, not knowing who was listening in on Compton's end.

I heard him take a very shaky breath, before he started stammering. "Yes… she… uh, Sookie… and, um… Eric…"

"What?" I asked sharply, my voice very quiet. I was just barely avoiding crushing the phone in my hand. "What about Sookie and Eric?"

"He, um…. Well, I believe that he might have… possibly…"

"What?" I boomed. "What did Eric do to my telepath?"

"He made her vampire." He answered softly. Without warning, I raised my head and shrieked. When Hadley started to crawl away from me, I gave her a warning glare, and realized that I was seeing through thick red tears. He knew. Northman fucking knew that she was supposed to be mine, and he took her from me just to spite me. Then he threw it in my face by calling me the way he did. I would have him murdered for this, I would.

"How did you let this happen?" I asked Compton, my voice laced with malice.

"I didn't know what to do, your majesty. I knew I couldn't tell him that she was meant for you, and he was my sheriff. There was nothing I could do about it." He sobbed, and I wanted nothing more than to wring his neck.

"Let me give you a quick review on the turning process, Bill, since you obviously remember so little about it. That's just it; it's a process. It's not instantaneous, and you had plenty of time during this process and ask me what there was to do about it, and believe me, there was lots you could have done about it. Didn't it occur to you that the reason I didn't want Eric to know about my involvement with the girl was that I didn't want him to steal her from me and turn her?"

Bill started to cry out an apology and I simply wouldn't have it. "Of course it didn't occur to you, you incompetent pig, but that was it. That was why I went to you directly, instead of through Northman. Just that. But now that is exactly what happened! He clearly already knew what was going on between you and me, otherwise, he wouldn't have had the slightest interest in making her into his child, and it was almost certainly because of you letting something slip like the foolhardy prick that you are."

I sat there, fuming, waiting for Compton to say something. Say anything, but he didn't. He just continued on sobbing on the other end. "Why did you take so long calling me?" I demanded.

"I wasn't sure that it had actually happened. I thought he was just trying to get under my skin by letting me know that he could turn her if he wanted to, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. Sookie felt too calm and accepting for him to be turning her, and when I felt our bond go, I assumed he had just let her die. Only today did I realize that that was probably because he had turned her." He finished weakly.

"You weren't going to call me when you thought she was going to, or had already died, but you will when you think Eric has turner her? How do you not understand this? You are supposed to contact me when something bad is going to happen, so that I can do something about it. If she had died, because of you, I would have lost the chance at her forever. At least this way, she belongs to someone who owes me fealty, and will be under my jurisdiction." I finished, unhappy to have to find the bright side. Sookie Stackhouse should be here, with me, not learning to become a spiteful, undeserving vampire from her master. "That is, of course, presuming that her special gift is still intact. She is of no value to me otherwise." I added with venom. I could kill Compton and Northman. I probably would, if they were here, instead of in their pathetic Area Five.

"I'm sure she'll be able to do everything she could before. Probably even more! She's a very gifted telepath; that'll have to stick with her into vampirism." He was rambling. Scared for his life. As he well should be.

"Oh? She's a very gifted telepath? Such a shame I never got to see it myself before you failed to do the one thing I asked of you and she was claimed and turned by my underling." I spat bitterly. I had asked him to do one thing; bring me the telepath. Was that too hard for his pathetically narrow-minded brain to comprehend?

"With all due respect, your majesty, Sookie was going to die if Eric had not intervened, and she still lives." He said quietly, obviously regretting choosing to say it.

"She was going to die? Then you should have brought her to me! I could have turned her and I could have saved her. Northman will ruin her, Bill."

"It could have been worse, your majes-"

"I do not wish to hear you list ways where you could have screwed up even more, Bill. No amount of silver lining is going to fix this. You failed me, and I am not about to just forget that. Neither should you." I spat, before pitching my phone at the furthest wall. I watched it break into several pieces with a small amount of satisfaction, and then looked down at my Hadley. She had blanched, and was shivering in her state of undress. I could tell that she was terrified, but she wasn't saying anything, and was doing her best to please me. I placed my hand on her face and cupped her cheek, lovingly. Then, without warning, I lowered my head and sank my fangs into her femoral artery, noting that my love did her best not to cry out in pain at the sudden intrusion. I smiled into her leg, before happily sucking on the wound, enjoying the slightly other taste to her blood.

I drank until I had had my fill and was sated. And then some. I just kept on drinking until there was no blood of her left to drink.