Each world is a little different with their sets of rules. Which makes situations like the one we are dealing with difficult. We have to figure out the rules and they aren't always very cooperative in letting us know what they are.
But yes...my world is a biological heirarchy. They breed and create more of each other that way. Those at the very top have the ability to create other vampires from humans. There are probably only less than 40 of them left with that ability. The lower on the heirarchy the less powerful you are. The former human vampires are normally used as armies of some sort in their battles amongst each other or neglected for hunters to eliminate.
Her and her mother are at the top. They can feed off other vampires, since they are all alive. Not all of them do though and all it takes is a single bite from a pureblood to turn a human. That's it.