My only thought is that you might want to try bulbs from a different source - a lot of "bulb" nurseries send things that don't have a chance, even in the hands of very experienced gardeners, especially if we're talking about things that aren't tulips and daffodils. Most rain lilies can be stored dry (I do it with some potted ones every year), but I prefer to buy them already growing, in pots. The best sources for those are Yucca Do nursery in TX and Plant Delights in NC; these places may charge a little more, but the plants will be of better quality, and most (other than Z. grandiflora, which is sterile) are very easy to propagate from seed.

You may be on the upper edge of winter hardiness for a lot of varieties - I'd recommend trying Z. candida and atamasco first, since they're the hardiest. Grandiflora (the most common pink) is iffy in 7a, and many of the yellows (pulchella and citrina, particularly) are even less hardy than that.

Hope that helps!

something eating them?

I lost a lot of bulbs this spring when a big area close to me was developed.

All the displaced wildlife migrated across my garden & ate everything in its path.